Love You More
by MystiKoorime
Summary: In an unexpected twist of events, polar opposites suddenly become parents. Although this isn't what either of them planned or hoped for, the pair realizes that life might just be easier if they face it together. And maybe, just maybe, love is found along the way. Hiei x Botan Alternate Universe fic. (New Cover Art by Line Sagittarius)
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys. I'm back with another H/B AU story. Just a bit of obligatory info before we begin!

\- Everyone is human in this story, and the main YYH cast is in their mid to late twenties.

\- Hiei's a little taller but still remains to be the shortest guy in the group. (He grows by the end of the YYH manga, so it's my headcanon that he doesn't stay 4'10 forever) You can imagine him to be whatever height you want, but for the purposes of this story, he's about an inch shorter than Botan and only appears to be taller than her if you take his hair into consideration.

\- The new character, Kai, looks like Killua from Hunter x Hunter, but with Botan's coloring.

That's it for now. Happy reading!

* * *

In his seven years of life, Kai had never felt as though he really belonged to any place or anybody. He never fit in. Not with the other children at the orphanage. Not with his current foster family. Not with anyone.

Knowledge was the only thing that kept him from feeling truly alone. He had gotten in trouble many times before because of his insatiable curiosity, but he did not really care. He had taught himself more than a child his age needed to know because he had a plan; a plan to change his entire life around. It was simple, really. A kid needed his parents - not some crummy foster family and definitely not the orphanage system – and so, he was determined to find them.

He used to wonder what they would be like and when he was younger and actually finding them was just a fleeting dream. But he was seven now. He was older and smarter. He could find them; he just needed the right information.

He needed his file.

He had asked his social worker, Kagura, about the circumstances of his birth a few times. Although she was blunt and a little strange at times, she was the only honest person he knew. She had explained to him that he was the result of an intro vitro pregnancy using a donor embroy. He didn't really understand it at first, but after reading about it and receiving a few explanations from Kagura, he understood enough. His intended parents were gone, but he still had his biological parents. Kagura never outright showed him his file, but he had the means and the capabilities to see it for himself.

He skipped school, returned to the orphanage and pilfered his file. He read through the contents and confirmed Kagura's words. He was lucky enough to have two sets of parents. Mr. and Mrs. Yamato were unable to have kids together had decided to undergo an in vitro procedure using a donor embryo. They had unfortunately passed away as indicated by the records, landing him in the care of the orphanage. He glanced down at their photos with a frown, wondering what it would have been like if they were still alive. It didn't make sense to dwell on the past, though, and he pushed through the feelings of regret and sadness in lieu of finding more information about the parents that were still here. Amethyst eyes widened when he finally came across the papers concerning his biological parents. There wasn't much information there, except for their first names and medical histories but it was more than enough. He was able to pull up some relevant information about them from the internet and was pleased to find that the last record he found of his mother said that she was here in Tokyo. He had already memorized the bus and train lines, and with the small monthly allowance he had received from his foster parents, he was able to purchase a ticket. He returned to the last known apartment that she had rented out, but when he asked the landlord about her, they said she had moved away years ago and had no idea if or when she would return.

He trudged down the street, towards the bus stop. His father wasn't even in the same region and he had no clue where his mother was. He would have to rethink his strategy.

His stomach grumbled and he looked around. He couldn't afford a full meal, but he was sure to find something worthwhile in the convenience store.

The bell rang as a black-haired customer exited and Kai entered the doors. He made a beeline for the junk food aisle, only stopping when he noticed a woman drop a cup of ramen in front of him. He dutifully picked up the item to return it, but as his eyes drifted up to return the stranger's expression of gratitude, he froze. Staring back at him was the same woman he had pondered over for the last few nights.

Botan Himura: his mother.

She thanked him and walked away, but he was too stunned to speak, let alone go after her. He watched as she purchased her items, making small chat with the cashier. Her voice was light and melodious and she gave off a welcoming and warm aura. Despite that, he was actually hesitant to approach her. He wouldn't have another opportunity like this, but his feet felt glued to the floor. He could only stare at her in a mixture of wonder and surprise.

If he did not do something now, she would be gone. Just when he resolved to do something, anything, she surprised him entirely by turning back around. Perhaps she felt his eyes on her or maybe it was a mother's intuition. Whatever it was, he was glad that she looked back. He found his second wind and he knew that he couldn't pass up on this chance.

And that's how their story began.

* * *

 _One week earlier_

Botan sighed as she re-tied her ponytail for the fourth time that morning. She couldn't hold down a steady job, she couldn't hold down a steady relationship and she had yet to find her big break. It was unlike her to be so pessimistic, but with her 27th birthday looming and the prospect of turning yet another year older without anything to show for it, she figured she was justified in wallowing in her own misery, if only for a moment.

She looked around her apartment and felt a small bit of consolation when she realized that she was officially finished packing. She had just moved back to her hometown of Tokyo and she hoped that she would find _something_ that would make it worth her while this time.

Not that her life was completely pathetic - she had the best friends in the world. Her eyes traveled to a photograph taken about five or so years ago, when she had graduated college. On her left stood Koenma, her very best friend who she had known since childhood, and on her right was Hinageshi, an old friend she had met in middle school. Beside them stood Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara and Shizuru Kuwabara.

She met Yusuke and Kuwabara during her freshman orientation. They happened to be in the same group together and were forced to be each other's partners in a series of exercises and activities. She learned that Yusuke and Kuwabara went to the same high school together and fought often. They were the most unlikely trio, but they formed a very natural camaraderie with each other over the years. She and Kuwabara would often study together, while Yusuke complained that studying wasn't his forte. Through Kuwabara, she met Shizuru, his older sister. She had been in law school at the time and, unlike her peers, she never seemed stressed over it.

After graduation, Botan left the city and went to another one in search of more opportunities. She kept in touch with the gang regularly, but just couldn't seem to find her break. Koenma had always offered her a job in his family's conglomerate, but Botan could not stand the idea of being an office worker. She loved writing and had hoped to find success within the field, but so far she was sorely mistaken. Shizuru suggested that she move back home and try to find success here. She had been awfully lonely and at least this way she would always have her loved ones around.

Her eyes drifted back to the old picture she had taken with them, shortly before she left. She was only gone for a few years, but things had changed so much for everyone. While she was away she learned that Shizuru was a full-fledged lawyer with an excellent track record. Botan almost felt pity for the poor souls opposing Shizuru; the woman had an iron will of steel and her cool and composed nature only served the unnerve those in opposition.

Kuwabara became a high school teacher. He didn't look like the studious type, but she remembered all those nights they spent plugging away at math equations and memorizing history dates. She heard that he had quite a way of motivating the students into reaching far past their potential. She wasn't surprised, though. He had a heart of gold and she was sure that his students were the luckiest in the world.

Yusuke owned a food stand and business was very good for him. He was usually stationed in a densely populated area in the city and he was known all around the area for his tasty cuisine. In all the time she had known Yusuke, he never mentioned that he was a great cook. She decided she would have to pay him a visit one of these days and see what all the fuss about.

Although she hadn't seen any of the trio since she arrived - she wanted to settle in first - Koenma ambushed her the moment she returned. He was in town for a few days for business purposes (something about him starting up a new branch of the company, Botan never did pay much attention when it came to his work life) and she could not, in good conscience, keep her arrival a secret from her oldest friend. Although he was now the managing director at a huge company and a pretty important figure in the business world, he would always be her childhood friend in her eyes. Hinageshi had followed for a few days, as she was his secretary.

The sound of her cellphone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you," Yusuke's voice sounded out. "How long have you been back?"

"It's only been a few days," she answered.

"Alright, well this calls for a celebration!"

"That really isn't necessary," she declined.

"Yeah, it kinda is. You and another friend of mine returned at just about the same time. You remember Hiei, right?"

"I remember the name, but I don't think we've ever met," Botan recalled.

"He just got stationed here, too. With you and Hiei returning and Koenma leaving, I figured we could hit a few birds with one stone. Welcome back to you and Hiei and sayonara to the son of Enma. What do you say?"

"How can I deny a request from one of my favorite friends," Botan acquiesced with a grin. "I would love to see everyone again!"

"Tomorrow night. At the usual spot?"

"Okay," Botan agreed.

"And hey," he added, as if he had suddenly remembered something important. "It's good to have you back."

Botan smiled.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

Hiei crossed the street and walked down the familiar path until he reached the area where the busiest food stand was. Yusuke was a nuisance, but he had undeniable talent in the culinary arts department. The lunch rush was in full swing and Hiei wasn't surprised to see the incredibly long line of customers waiting for Yusuke's services. Hiei did not have the patience or the time, so he walked to the front of the line and ignored the grunts and stares of disapproval he received in doing so.

"Right on time, as always," Yusuke greeted, as he passed a packaged meal over to Hiei.

Hiei accepted it with a grunt as he dropped a bill on the counter. Today it was yakisoba, which suited Hiei just fine. Yusuke never really had a set menu, instead choosing to cook whatever he felt like making that day.

"What did I tell you about this, huh?" Yusuke asked, waving the money around as though it had personally offended him. Hiei did not care, though. Yusuke's pride might have been large, but it wasn't nearly as big as his own.

"I don't accept handouts," Hiei said simply as he turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Yusuke called out. "The whole gang's gonna meet up tomorrow night."

"You can do whatever you like, so long as you keep me out of it," Hiei responded as he walked away. He hated being dragged into their shenanigans, but somehow, Yusuke always managed to wrangle him into joining them.

"Aw, don't be like that," Yusuke called out. "You didn't really think you could come back to Tokyo and not be a part of the good old gang again, did you?"

Hiei paused to turn back and give Yusuke an irritated look.

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought," he replied. "And that's what I intend to do."

"Well, too bad for you. Kurama already agreed, and so did Kuwabara," Yusuke revealed as he effortlessly finished preparing the next customer's meal. "And Koenma will make an appearance too, before he has to leave and go back to Kyoto. All drinks on him."

"I don't care."

"...You'll probably get to see Shizuru kick Kuwabara's ass, like she usually does when she's low on tolerance," Yusuke tried.

"That hardly peaks my interest."

Yusuke paused to accept payment from a customer and give them change, before returning his attentions to Hiei with renewed vigor.

"Oh yeah, one of my old college friends will be there too. You remember Botan, right? I'm pretty sure you two met at least once before," he recalled.

Hiei did not bother trying to remember the girl in question, knowing that it was a futile effort in the end.

"I don't make it a point to remember insignificant people," he answered curtly.

"Well, she's hot, single and available," Yusuke teased, wiggling his eyebrows in a lewd manner.

"Not interested," Hiei replied flatly.

Yusuke let out a long-suffering sigh.

"I really didn't want to pull the Yukina card, but you've given me no choice," he started dramatically. "I invited your sister too. Kuwabara gets really handsy when he's had too much to drink, but if you're not coming, then I guess it isn't your problem."

The cheeky smirk that Yusuke was sporting said it all: he knew that he had just secured Hiei's attendance. When Yukina was involved, there was little he wouldn't do.

"What time?" Hiei grumbled in resignation.

"Seven on the dot, at the usual spot."

"Hn."

"See ya then, snookums!"

Hiei walked back to his office and closed his door. He had only returned to Tokyo as a favor to Koenma. Although he would never admit it aloud, meeting Yusuke Urameshi was a far more positive than negative factor in his life. He had met Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama back in middle school. Hiei had always been the anti-social type, and Yukina and Kurama were really the only people he could stand to be around. Somehow, Yusuke had wormed his way into his social circle and with Yusuke, came Kuwabara. Despite going to different universities, Hiei had been wholly unsuccessful in removing them from his life. When he graduated with a business degree and needed a job, Yusuke introduced him to Koenma, who had given him a chance and a position at his family conglomerate in Kyoto. Hiei had climbed the ranks quickly enough and when the company was starting a new branch in Tokyo, Hiei was the one that Koenma asked to head the operations. It was said to be a six-month stint and Hiei agreed out of obligation and duty. It was a good and secure job, but Hiei's ambitions were far grander than that. Once he completed this task, his debt would be repaid and he could move on to bigger and better opportunities.

It was only six months, Hiei thought as he looked out of his window. It would fly by.

But he could not shake the strange feeling that something was approaching; something that was out of his control. He was on high alert against an obstacle that he could not yet see. It sounded crazy, but his instincts had always been spot on and he decided to trust them again. Whatever it may be he was sure that he could overcome it. His ambition and determination were second to none, and nothing would disrupt his plans of success.

* * *

As promised, Botan arrived at the bar the following day at exactly 7:00. Nothing had changed: same robust bartender, same bright and lively atmosphere and same crazy crowd.

She had ordered a drink and had a quick chat with the bartender, Chuu, who had always been strangely easy to talk to. He had even remembered her favorite drink after all this time and had given it to her free of charge as a kind way of saying that he was glad that she was back. After bidding Chuu a polite farewell, it was easy to spot the rest of the group at a large booth in the back with Kuwabara's bright orange hair as a guide. He and Shizuru were the only ones there so far. She waved at them from the distance and Kuwabara's face split into a bright grin. In all of her haste to reach them, she had accidentally bumped into a stranger and carelessly spilled the contents of her drink on him.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely.

Botan picked up a napkin from the bar and attempted to dab away at the liquid, but the man grabbed her wrist roughly and wretched it away. She opened her mouth to issue another apology, but his cold, red-eyed glare was enough to silence her. After pulling off his wet blazer off and discarding it on one of the barstools, he ignored her entirely and ordered himself a drink.

"What a jerk," Botan mumbled to herself as used the napkin to wipe herself off. Luckily it wasn't too bad of a spill.

"Hey, you made it!"

Yusuke's voice drew her attention to the front, where she saw him entering. He still looked like the same troublemaking menace that she remembered so fondly. His hair was gelled back and he was donned in some casual jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

"Yusuke, it's so good to see you again!" Botan replied, giving him a quick hug.

"Likewise," he grinned, before looking over Botan's shoulder. Recognition flashed in his eyes and he clapped his hand on a stranger's back heartily. "Hey, you made it too, buddy. I knew you would."

Botan turned around to view the mystery guest with a smile.

"This is Hiei, the guy I was telling you about," Yusuke explained, waving a hand in Hiei's direction.

Botan's smile fell and she stifled the gasp that threatened to escape when she realized who Yusuke was talking to.

"You're Hiei?" she spat in disbelief, amethyst eyes wide as she pointed at Mr. Grumpy Pants himself, the very last person that she wanted to see at that moment.

Hiei's eyes narrowed in annoyance and he crossed his rams over his chest as Yusuke stepped between them.

"Wait a minute... you two know each other?" Yusuke asked, looking between them in confusion.

"We ran into each other moments ago," Botan explained.

"Unfortunately, she means this literally," Hiei added with a biting edge to his tone.

"Ah," Yusuke seemed to understand the situation well enough with a nod. "Botan can be klutz at times, but you'll learn to love her."

"Thanks Yusuke…" Botan replied tonelessly.

Hiei gave her a disinterested look, boredom in his eyes and in his voice as he spoke.

"Hn, she certainly seems like the clumsy sort who ends up bringing more trouble than she's worth."

"And he seems like the arrogant type whose stubborn pride prevents him from accepting a perfectly sincere apology," Botan countered quickly.

She was satisfied to see some emotion pour into his expression, even if it was anger.

"Woman," he gritted out warningly.

"Whoa, guys, settle down," Yusuke cut in, raising his hands in defense. "Tonight is supposed to all about having fun and letting loose! Let's just throw back a few shots and be merry, okay?"

Botan released a deep breath.

"I'm all for having a good time," she admitted, turning her eyes to Hiei. "Can we please just put the earlier incident behind us and start over?"

Hiei's expression returned to its impassive state. Instead of responding to her like a normal person would, he chose to ignore her completely in lieu of claiming his drink from the bar and walking away. Botan watched as he retreated further, shoulders sagging in defeat.

"I don't think your friend likes me very much," Botan complained with a pout.

"I don't think my friend likes _me_ very much," Yusuke admitted with a careless shrug of his shoulders. "You'll get used to him, though."

"What do you mean? I hope I don't ever have to see his scowling face ever again," she voiced.

"He's here for six months on business, so he'll be around for a while," Yusuke disclosed.

"Just great…" Botan griped under her breath.

"Eh," Yusuke gave her a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's not as bad as he wants everyone to think he is."

Botan had a hard time believing Yusuke's claim as she watched Hiei join the Kuwabara siblings at their booth without even saying a word to either one of them. So, on top of being a jerk, he didn't have any manners to boot. That seemed about right, she thought with a scoff. She didn't realize that she was frowning until Yusuke pressed a finger against her forehead in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles that had formed as a result of her dark expression.

"Don't worry about him," Yusuke urged. "He'll warm up to you soon enough."

Botan shook her head, dispelling all negative thoughts as she grinned at Yusuke.

"I'm not worried. Not even a grumpy jerk like him can ruin my mood today," she said truthfully.

"Good, cause here comes the other guy I was telling you about: Kurama."

Botan followed Yusuke's line of sight and spotted a handsome redhead walking towards them. He certainly was a sight to behold with his long red locks, emerald eyes and clean-cut appearance.

"You must be Botan," he greeted, voice smooth and calm as he held out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Botan shook his hand and mirrored his smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kurama," she returned, glad that he was nothing like the brutish menace from earlier.

"Yusuke tells me you two met in college?" Kurama asked conversationally.

"Yes, we ended up in the same orientation group and we hit it off surprisingly well. At first I thought he was just a slacker and a delinquent, but underneath that bad boy image was an all around decent guy," she teased.

Yusuke grimaced at her wording, but otherwise stayed silent as Kurama chuckled.

"Yes, Yusuke certainly has mellowed out over the years," Kurama agreed. "I'm surprised that we haven't met until now. I have known Yusuke and Kuwabara since we were teens, after all."

"I didn't have much of a social life back then. I was either at school or working and then I moved right after graduation," Botan explained sheepishly.

"I see," Kurama replied. "Well there's no better time than the present."

"That's true!" Botan agreed.

Together they walked over to one of the larger booths in the back, where she was happily reunited with the Kuwabara siblings. Aside from Shizuru's hair growing a bit and Kuwabara dressing more maturely, the two hadn't changed at all. As she shuffled into the booth, she found that she had the displeasure of sitting directly across from Hiei. He was nursing his beer with an unpleasant frown tugging at the corner of his lips, looking as though this was the last place he would rather be right now.

"The entire gang together again. It's a little over due, but hey, I'm not one to complain," Yusuke said as he took a swig from his drink.

"I don't think you can call it the "entire gang" when all you've done is combine two separate groups of friends," Shizuru corrected.

"Yeah, and Yukina isn't even here, yet!" Kuwabara reminded him.

"Yukina?" Botan asked, brows rising in confusion.

"Hiei's twin sister," Shizuru filled in.

"Oh," she replied. Botan wondered what sort of sister a guy like Hiei would have and hoped that she did not share his bad attitude. One of him was more than enough in her humble opinion.

"Yukina works at the hospital, but her shift should be ending soon," Kuwabara said with a grin.

"You seem to be very fond of her," Botan teased, noting the way Hiei's expression darkened.

"Fond is an understatement. He turns into a love-sick idiot when she's around," Shizuru drawled.

"Shizuru!" Kuwabara shouted in embarrassment.

"It's even worse than how he acted when he met Botan during orientation," Yusuke recalled cocking a thumb in Botan's direction as he looked at the others. "He had the biggest crush on her during the first semester, until he realized that it was going nowhere. He was always putting on this creepy deep voice and trying to act manly in front of her. "

Botan giggled as she recalled Kuwabara's attempts at being smooth.

"It wasn't that bad..." she tried to defend him.

"Yeah, well, it's nothing compared how giddy he gets over Yukina," Yusuke told her.

"Lay off! You're all just jealous that I've found true love!" Kuwabara squawked, his shoulders squared as an embarrassed blush covered his face.

"Yukina hasn't even returned your affections," Shizuru pointed out uncaringly.

"She will one day! We're just taking things slow," he huffed, charcoal eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hn. You aren't taking things anywhere. I refuse to allow my sister to be courted by a buffoon like you," Hiei objected.

Kuwabara grumbled something under his breath and Hiei's fist tightened against the neck of his bottle. Botan was sure that a fight was about to erupt, when the tension suddenly broke. Kuwabara's expression lit up like a child's during Christmas as he turned to the door at the very same moment that a woman with mint-green hair entered.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara gushed, jumping out from the booth to greet her at the door.

"It's like he's got Yukina-radar or something," Yusuke teased.

"Pathetic," Hiei scoffed, taking a sip of his beer.

"I think it's sweet," Botan defended as she watched the duo.

"You would, woman," Hiei ridiculed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, tearing her gaze away from the two to glare at Hiei.

"I've known you for all of five minutes and already I can see that you're the embodiment of all the traits I dislike: clumsy, over-emotional, and foolishly idealistic."

"And you're extremely rude and prickly!" she shot back.

Hiei only rolled his eyes as Yukina joined the group. The first thing that Botan noticed about her was how kind and gentle her eyes were; other than the color of their eyes, the twins seemed to share completely different physical features.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Botan," Yukina said politely. "Kazuma's told me so much about you."

Botan's ire faded almost immediately as the woman smiled courteously at her. She seemed to be the total opposite of Hiei; docile, warm and well-mannered.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I've heard nothing but good things about you," Botan answered.

Yukina glanced over at Kuwabara and her smile deepened.

"If you need anything while you're settling in, please don't hesitate to contact me."

"I'll remember that," Botan nodded. "Thank you Yukina."

The two took a seat on the other side of the booth as Botan took a sip of her beer. Koenma and Hinageshi joined them soon after and Botan couldn't remember a time when she felt this happy. She had sort of been moving from place to place, and while she managed to make a few acquaintances, she really did miss her friends. Something was telling her that this was exactly where she needed to be and, for the first time since she returned, she was truly glad to be home.

* * *

As Hiei met up with the others for the third time this week, he wished that he were anywhere but here. He took his established seat across from the blue-haired woman as the night went on in the same manner as per usual: the oaf persisted in his fruitless attempts to get closer to Yukina, Shizuru and Kurama continued to send unsubtle glances when they believed the other was not looking, Yusuke went on without a care in the world and the blue-haired woman continued to be overly friendly with the ones she had just met. Yukina had taken a quick liking to her, and that was to be expected due to her accepting and gracious nature, but Kurama was a great deal more discerning than the others and he had even seemed to genuinely enjoy the blue-haired fool's company.

Her efforts of getting to know the others did not end with Yukina and Kurama, though. She had made the mistake of continually trying to befriend him as well, and he continued pretending that she did not exist. There was something entirely unsettling about her that he could not place and he did not like it. The less he had to do with her, the better.

After his third beer, he excused himself from the table and headed to the bathroom, ignoring the drunken college students and professionals alike. When he was finished, he spotted Botan at the bar ordering the next round. She was oblivious to everything around her, including the man who had saddled up next to her with a less than innocent gleam in his eyes. Hiei wanted to turn away from the scene and leave the woman to handle herself, but he could not in good conscience look the other way.

"What do you say I buy you a drink?" the man asked.

"That's quite alright," Botan replied with a much too inviting smile. "I appreciate the offer, though."

"Don't be like that," he urged, holding up his index finger in a pleading gesture. "Just one drink."

"Really, I couldn't," she refused, taking a step back.

"Are you sure?" he persisted, leaning closer towards her. "I'll make it worth your while."

When Hiei saw the man's hand snake around her waist, Hiei's eyes narrowed. He could never stomach the sight of a man mistreating a woman and he could not let the scene play out in front of him without at least doing something about it. He was by no means a chivalrous person, but even he had his limits. Botan pushed herself away from the stranger and opened her mouth to undoubtedly give him a piece of her mind, but Hiei stepped in.

"I believe she declined your unwarranted advances," he stated. "Don't make her repeat herself a third time."

"My bad, I didn't know she was taken," he halfheartedly explained, looking between the two.

Hiei's glare did not lessen at the pseudo apology and he stood his ground until the other man took his leave. Botan let out a relieved sigh and turned to face him with a grateful smile.

"I certainly didn't expect for you to come to my aid like that, but I really appreciate it," she expressed. "Thank you.

"Don't thank me," Hiei answered, looking away as he did so. "You were causing too much of a ruckus and I hate unnecessary noise."

"Well, I'm still very thankful," Botan stated. "I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. What do you say we start over and at least try to be friends?"

Hiei looked down at her outstretched hand as though he were seriously contemplating her offer. Her expression turned more hopeful with each second that passed, but the gesture was wasted on him. He wasn't one for making friends, especially with the loudmouthed, cheerful type. She was Yusuke's friend, and that was all she ever needed to be as far as he was concerned.

"I'll pass," he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets instead.

Botan's jaw dropped in shock and he did not bother waiting for her to snap out of it as he returned to the rest of the group. Hiei noticed the look in Kurama's emerald, all-knowing eyes as he reclaimed his spot at the booth.

"That was kind of you."

"Of course you saw that. You see everything," Hiei scoffed.

"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I would have been surprised by your actions earlier," Kurama noted with an amused smile.

"She's the type to draw the wrong kind of attention and would have caused more trouble if I didn't intervene," Hiei explained.

"Well, she is a very interesting woman," Kurama agreed. "Then again, so is everyone associated with Yusuke."

"If you like her that much, _fox_ , why don't you stop talking her up to me and go and pursue her for yourself?" Hiei countered. "Though I don't suppose the oaf's sister would approve of that."

"I didn't mean it in that way," he clarified. "It seems as though she will be in our lives for quite some time. Perhaps you could stand to be a bit less abrasive with her. She is new to your brand of personality after all."

Hiei grunted in response, not bothering to say any more on the subject and Kurama took the hint. The redhead took a slow sip of his drink before returning his attentions to Hiei casually.

"How have you been adjusting to the move?" Kurama asked.

"It's fine," he replied curtly. "The city hasn't changed, and neither have you all. You're still the same band of fools that you were before I left."

They both looked over at Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were having a drinking contest. Botan was cheering them on loudly, while Shizuru and Yukina watched in silence.

"I suppose we haven't," Kurama agreed. "And while this wasn't the move you wanted to make, I'm sure Yukina is glad to have you back here temporarily."

Hiei glimpsed at his sister on the opposite end of the booth. Although she wasn't rooting loudly like the blue-haired woman was, the soft smile on her face was enough of an indication of her contentment. She clearly enjoyed everyone's company and it was a reassurance to know that she was living in the same city as Kurama and the others. Even if he wasn't around as much as he should have been, she was never truly alone.

"Hn."

Their conversation was interrupted when Shizuru pinned Kurama with a competitive smirk.

"You look way too comfortable over there," she said, a taunting gleam dancing in her brown eyes. "Come on, let's test that endurance of yours, pretty boy."

Shizuru slid a shot across the table and Kurama caught it deftly.

"If you insist," he conceded, raising the shot glass to his lips and accepting the challenge.

Both Kurama and Shizuru had incredibly high tolerances for alcohol, and their competition would last for far longer than Hiei was interested in. The attentions of the others soon gravitated towards the pair and Hiei inadvertently locked stares with Botan. He held her candy-colored gaze momentarily before she looked away. That slightly foreboding feeling returned, settling in the pit of his stomach. She was as harmless as a fly and, so, none of this made any sense. Still, he resolved to figure out what exactly it was that this simple woman could possibly bring into his life.

* * *

The next day was a crisp and cool one. Botan loved the month of March for the sole fact that signs of life began to return to the world after a cold and dreary winter. She woke up feeling especially good this morning and hoped that this feeling would continue throughout the day.

Her schedule was clear today and she hoped to get a full day of writing crammed into her schedule, but first, she desperately needed to stock up on some essentials. As she was not much of a cook, she had taken to living off of frozen food, ramen and takeout. It was a good thing that the convenience store was within walking distance, she thought as she entered the store.

She spotted a flash of gravity defying black hair, accompanied by a red-eyed gaze that she immediately recognized as Hiei. Her brows rounded in surprise at the sight of him. He must have lived in the same general area as she did if he was in this particular convenience store.

"Good afternoon Hiei!" she waved.

Hiei started straight at her for a few moments, before looking away as if he did not see her at all. Botan's cheer deflated somewhat and she glared at the back of his head as he exited the store. She didn't know why she expected him to be civil with her when she could barely count the amount of times he had been somewhat decent to her on one hand. She gave a small shrug and continued searching through the aisles. There was no need for Hiei's bad mood to rub off on her.

She hummed as she filled her basket with a few of her favorite brands and perused through the aisles. As she reached for one of the items on the top shelf, she accidentally knocked over a cup of ramen haphazardly situated on a lower shelf. She grimaced at her blunder, realizing that maybe she was just as clumsy as Yusuke had accused her of being and moved to pick it up. Her efforts were halted when she noticed the cutest little boy at her side. He returned the item to her hand without a word and she accepted it gratefully.

"Why thank you," she beamed, resisting the urge to lean down and ruffle his powder blue hair.

Botan made her way to the cashier and placed the items down on the counter, striking up a quick conversation as she paid for the purchase. She had every intention of leaving until she felt the creeping sensation that she was being watched. Upon turning around, she found herself staring back at the kind boy who had helped her earlier. She smiled at him and the boy instantly turned away, as if he were frightened.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Botan started off slowly as she took a step closer. He looked familiar, but she couldn't tell why. "It's just… you were staring and I wondered if there was anything I could help you with?"

He muttered something quietly and Botan frowned in confusion.

"What was that? I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you."

"You're a lot prettier in person," he stated.

"Uh - thank you," she blinked. "Do we know each other?"

"No, but we should."

An amused smile played on her lips as she decided to take the bait.

"And why is that?"

"Because you're my mom," he answered simply.

And just like that, her entire world had changed.

* * *

And so it begins!

I've been working on this one for a while and wanted to drop the chapter here to see how the fandom would receive it. Hope you all enjoyed it because I'm excited about this story. Let me know what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

This one's a pretty long one. I couldn't find a good place to cut it, so I just kept on going until the end. Hope you're all nice and comfy. Happy reading!

* * *

Botan stared down in shock at the boy in shock. He couldn't possibly have just said what she thought he did. Maybe she had a little bit too much to drink last night, or maybe she ate something funny, because she was definitely hearing things.

"I'm your… _what_?" Botan managed to sputter out, completely at a loss for words.

"My mom," he repeated confidently. "Botan Himura. Blood type B. Birthday, July 15th. Age 26. I saw it all in my file."

Botan swallowed slowly as he listed off the basic facts of her life. She had no idea how he knew all about her, but the more she examined him, the more speechless she became. He had her pale skin, powder blue hair and purple eyes, but his hair was spiky, eyes were slightly angular and features a little sharper than her own. They could easily be mistaken for family, but the biologics of it all made absolutely no sense.

"How could this be?" Botan wondered, not expecting any answers from the boy, but needing to voice her disbelief.

"I don't really get it either," Kai explained, brow crinkled in confusion. "My social worker – Kagura – said something about eggs and in vitro and other stuff that didn't make sense."

 _In vitro._ The phrase struck her very core. She remembered that she had donated eggs back in the college days when money was tight. She was told that her samples would be used for scientific and medical research purposes only and she wanted to believe that what she was told was the truth - but as the child stared up at her with eyes that mirrored her own, she couldn't help but feel as though there was a substantial weight to his claims. There was a strange sense of familiarity shrouding over the boy. Deep down in her gut, she felt as though she knew the answer to her confusion and it scared her.

He was giving her an expectant look and she realized that she hadn't spoken in quite some time. She forced a smile on her face, despite the fact that her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and her thoughts were racing a mile a minute.

"I'm sorry, this is just a lot to process."

"That's okay," he answered, completely unbothered by her hesitation. "I read that it takes a while for shocking news to sink in."

Botan took a deep breath, trying to ground herself. She woke up this morning thinking she would make a quick stop at the convenience store and then get some writing done, but instead she was standing here with a boy who could very well be her son. Well, he was biologically her son but in legal terms, he belonged to the couple that started the in vitro process. As she looked around the store, she noticed that they were the only customers there and a quick glance out of the windows confirmed that Kai had come all alone.

"Where are your parents?" Botan asked. "Did they really allow you to come here by yourself?"

"They died while I was still a baby," he answered.

Botan's expression immediately dropped.

"I'm so sorry," she replied quickly, sympathy welling up in her chest. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, I can't even remember them…" His purple eyes drifted down, before looking back up at Botan. "Anyway, I lived at the orphanage for most of my life, but I'm in foster care now."

Botan's frown deepened. She understood far too well what it was like growing up without parents, without a family. Everyone's experiences were different, but something was telling her that the boy had a harder time than most and she certainly wasn't making it any easier by being so completely out of it.

"What's your name?" she asked, finally remembering her manners.

"My name's Kai and I'm seven years old, if you were wondering," he disclosed.

She was only eighteen the first and only time she donated her eggs. If he was seven, then that meant the eggs were almost immediately mistaken and used for reproduction. It added up time-wise, but she couldn't wrap her head around the thought. How could such a grave mistake have been made? Botan immediately shook the insensitive thought out of her head. He wasn't a mistake. He just _was_.

She returned her attentions back Kai and noticed that he had a poor excuse for a meal in his hands.

"What do you say we go and have lunch somewhere and figure this whole thing out?" she suggested.

Kai smiled up at her for the first time and it warmed her heart.

"Okay."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Botan asked.

"How about ice-cream?" he proposed.

"Hm, maybe after you eat something a bit more substantial first," she advised, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hamburgers?" he suggested next.

"Alright, hamburgers it is," Botan said, leading him towards one of her favorite burger spots.

* * *

Botan - _his mother_ – didn't really say much as they sat in a booth and ate lunch, but Kai didn't expect her to. He had read an article about breaking news to another party, and it said that they could be shocked, unbelieving or even angry. She seemed more surprised than anything else, which was a good sign. At least she wasn't angry. Kai continued to finish his burger in silence while she continued to observe him.

"You're staring," he said bluntly.

She snapped out of her reverie and shot him an apologetic grin.

"I'm sorry - it's just… you kind of flipped my world upside down. I had no idea that I was a mother."

Kai frowned momentarily, deciding to ask the question that had been lurking at the back of his mind.

"Are you upset that I found you?"

"No!" Botan said, ponytail swishing back and forth as she shook her head adamantly. "It's going to take some getting used to is all."

He nodded in return, taking a sip of his chocolate milkshake.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself. Your likes, your dislikes…" Botan urged with a welcoming smile. "We have so much to catch up on."

Kai thought for a moment, before nodding.

"I'm in the third grade and I'll be eight in September," he started. "I love pizza and hamburgers and I hate vegetables. My favorite hobby is reading."

"What about the foster home? Do you like it there?"

"I hate it," he said, eyes looking more distant as his mind returned to the place he disliked the most. "I don't get along with anyone there."

Botan looked upset to hear the news, but he was glad that she did not ask him about any further questions concerning the foster home.

"How did you manage to find me?" she asked instead.

"I snuck into the file room and looked through my records," he answered honestly.

"You-you what?"

"Kagura never lets me see my file, but I knew that my real parents would be in there. After I found out your name, I searched for you on the internet. Then I took the quickest bus to the city."

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You did all of that by yourself?"

"I do lots of things by myself," he answered simply.

"Wow," she let out with an impressed smile. "You're very smart and resourceful for your age, aren't you?"

He could feel his cheeks heating up and he hated it when that happened. It usually only occurred when he was embarrassed, and although he did not want to seem weak or easily affected in front of his mother he was happy that she recognized his strong points. He wanted to show his best self to her today and maybe, just maybe, she would end up wanting him.

"Thanks… Kagura says I'm really smart for my age, but I still have a lot to learn," he replied shyly, before looking back up to meet her gaze. "Anyway, can I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course, shoot away," she answered openly.

"Where do you live?"

"The apartments on Block 10," she answered.

"Oh, I went to your old apartment and the land lady said that you moved. I didn't think I would find you and then I bumped into you and the convenience store."

"Well, wasn't that a stroke of luck? Or maybe we were destined to meet today no matter what," she said with a wink.

"You think so?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I do."

Kai bit back a smile as he nodded.

"So… what do you do for a living?"

"I'm currently involved in temporary work at the agency right now, but I'm looking to land a writing job. Newspapers or magazines; doesn't matter which, really, as long as I'm writing."

"Are you married?"

"No."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

She shook her head – negative.

"Why not?" he questioned.

"I guess I just haven't found the right person, yet."

Kai nodded in understanding as he continued. "What's your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I don't know... I was an orphan," she answered. There was a wistful note in her tone as she continued. "I never knew my parents. I never had a family of my own."

"You have me," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

Botan nodded, the warmth returning to her expression as she cheered up.

"You're right. And I've also got some pretty cool friends as well, so I was never really alone. They can be a little crazy sometimes but they're a great bunch," she revealed with a fond smile. "What about you? What are your friends like?"

Kai looked down at the table with a frown. He shouldn't be ashamed about it, but he was.

"I don't have any," he replied. "I don't have any friends and I never had a family."

"You have me," Botan echoed resolutely, reaching out to give his hand a light squeeze.

Kai couldn't help the slight smile that made his way onto his face and in that moment he knew that he had made the right decision. The other kids teased him and said that maybe his parents might be awful people or might not even want him, but Kai knew better. He always believed that everything would be okay if he found his real parents and there wasn't a single doubt in his mind now.

* * *

The two continued talking for a while, getting to know each other better, sharing stories and secrets. At first he appeared to be somewhat closed off, answering her inquiries politely and curtly. However, as the afternoon went on, he opened up more. If he felt comfortable enough to share, his answers became longer and more detailed and Botan found that she enjoyed listening to him speak. She was surprised that he was so articulate and intelligent for his age, but true to what he told her earlier, he did lack the sense of tact that came with maturity.

"What time is it?" he asked suddenly.

"It's 2:35," Botan answered, after looking down at her watch.

"I have to go," he said.

"Go? Go where?" Botan asked.

Kai slid from his chair, emptied his trash and then put the tray on the top of the receptacle.

"I skipped school to find you. I have to get home at the same time as the school bus or else my foster parents will find out."

"At least let me take you back," Botan offered.

"That's okay, I can do it on my own," he asserted.

"I'm sure you could, but I'd love to take the ride with you."

Kai hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding.

"…Okay."

They boarded the first bus back to Tama and Kai took a seat near the window with Botan seated next to him. As he looked outside absentmindedly, Botan stared at him. She had a son all this time and she didn't know it. She felt absolutely horrible. Being an orphan herself, she had vowed that she would never abandon her children in the same way that her parents had done with her. Of course, she never expected to have a child without her consent, without having a partner or without creating a stable home first, but she knew firsthand how unpredictable life could be. If it weren't for the kind people at the orphanage and the friends she had made along the way, her life would have been extremely lonely. Kai had said that he had no one: no friends and no family. He must have been very lonely; otherwise he wouldn't have sought her out. Although they had only spent a few short hours together, she could see that he was guarded. He hid his emotions behind a tough-guy attitude and pretended to be more independent than anyone at his age should have to be, but his guard melted quickly around her and she saw the boy for what he really was: a child who needed a home.

"It's this stop," Kai said as they exited at Tama.

The neighborhood was quaint and peaceful and they walked for about ten minutes, until they came to a fork in the road.

"That's the house, right over there," he said, pointing to a two-story home.

"Okay," Botan said, noting the street name and house number and committing it to memory. She looked down at Kai and felt a strange sense of longing run through her. She didn't want to leave him so soon, not after just getting to know him.

"You probably figured it out by now, but I was hoping that I could stay with you one day," Kai admitted, avoiding her gaze as though it would burn him on the spot. "If you wanted to…"

She knew that the boy's request would come up sooner or later and she was torn. She didn't know the first thing about children and her life was far from adequate enough to be able to raise a child. She wasn't ready to be a mother, but something drew him to her. She had always been too emotional for her own sake and he was pulling at every emotional cord she had. Perhaps it was her motherly instincts kicking in. Or maybe it was her own experiences as an orphan. Either way, she couldn't swallow the lump in her throat or the strange sensation in her chest.

"I don't know the first thing about taking care of or raising a child," she expressed.

"That's okay, because I can take care of myself," he declared proudly.

"Kai…"

"I won't ask you for anything, either. I promise."

That was the furthest thing from Botan's mind. She was more concerned about how she could feasibly take care of another human life, especially one as precious as a child's. He seemed to have such faith and trust that he would be fine if only he were with her but…

"How are you so sure that you'll be okay with me?" she questioned.

"Because you're my mom," he answered simply, as though that were all that needed to be said.

Botan was at a loss for words. When he put it like that, it did make sense. She was his mom and it was her duty to care for and protect him. But their situation wasn't as clear-cut as that. There was so much more to consider.

Kai shifted uncomfortably in his spot and Botan gave him a warm smile, deciding that now was not the time to show her hesitance.

"I'm really glad that you found me, Kai," Botan confessed. "How about we take this whole thing one step at a time and not think too far into the future? I'd love to see you again and hang out like we did today, with your foster parent's permission, of course."

"It's okay," he said, looking a bit disappointed as he did so. "You don't have to lie for my sake."

"What makes you think I'm lying? I meant what I said. I really do what to see you again, if that's okay with you," Botan declared.

"Really?" he asked, blinking in surprise.

"Of course," she said. "I couldn't possibly just forget about you now that I know you're here."

He was searching her eyes for some answer that remained unspoken, before his expression softened.

"You really mean that?"

"I _really_ do."

"I'll look forward to it, then," he said with a polite bow. The school bus pulled into the street and Kai frowned.

"That's the bus I'm supposed to be coming home on," Kai mentioned. "I have to go."

He turned to walk away and Botan took a step forward.

"Wait," she called out.

"Huh?"

"…Can I hug you before you leave?"

His entire body froze, eyes wide and round as he stared at Botan. He pursed his lips together for a moment, before he opened them to speak.

"Nobody's ever hugged me before," he said quietly and Botan felt her heart break.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Botan said hurriedly, reminding herself to keep up some boundaries with the boy.

"It's okay," he answered. "You can do it. If you still want to."

Botan kneeled down and put her arms around him, pulling him in close to her and hugging him experimentally. He stiffened up at first, before relaxing in her embrace. He felt so small and warm and she did not want to let him go.

"I'll see you again. I promise," she whispered, before letting go.

As she watched him walk away, it was almost frightening how quickly her resolve latched onto an absolute decision.

He was hers and he should be with her.

* * *

Botan sat at the bar later that night, stirring her straw in her club soda absentmindedly.

Kai was clearly unhappy and he wanted to be with her. If she really committed to this, then her entire life would change. But would that be such a bad thing? She always felt as though something was missing and spending such a short amount of time with the child that she never knew she had was more fulfilling than anything she had done in a long time.

However, she doubted her own abilities. A child was a huge responsibility and she could very well end up ruining the stable life that he had. Maybe in time he would love the foster home. Maybe he would grow up safe and cared for there. Maybe she wasn't the best option for him. Botan didn't know the first thing about children and she didn't even have a steady job to support Kai. She was hardly equipped to raise a child the right way.

But she still wanted him.

And so, her thoughts continued to conflict themselves and leave her nothing but dissatisfied and confused.

She knew all too well the feeling of abandonment and loneliness. Although she was lucky to have been in a foster home that adequately supported her, she never felt as though she had a place or a home to belong to. It was more of an institution than a home and she had always vowed that if she had kids that she would make sure that they were raised in a loving and happy environment. She also thought that by the time she a child she would be married and financially stable – not single and still looking for a stable job.

She really couldn't believe that the clinic could make such a grave error and not even alert her to it. All this time, her child had been left unsupported and unloved. It wasn't fair. She needed answers, but she supposed the most important thing right now was Kai.

"Earth to Botan?" Kuwabara's gravely voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She peered up from her drink to see Kuwabara, Yusuke and Kurama staring back at her curiously. She smiled back at them sheepishly.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"That's what we were wondering," Kurama answered.

"I'm fine," she said hurriedly. "Just a little tired is all."

Kurama did not look too convinced, but thankfully he let it go. He was the most perceptive one, aside from Shizuru, and if he did not push the issue then she was in the clear with the rest of the group. She checked her watch, wondering where her friend was and what was taking her so long to arrive as she tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. Yukina had told them that she couldn't make it today, meaning that Hiei would not show up either. Shizuru said she would be here, but she was late and Botan was getting antsy. She needed to tell someone about what had happened and she needed some solid advice. Shizuru was always her confidant in times of need and right now she needed Shizuru the most. Moments later the brunette made an appearance.

"There you are!" Botan said, jumping up from the booth and grabbing the woman's arm. "I need to speak with you."

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Shizuru asked as she was ushered to the bathroom by Botan.

Botan checked to see that the bathroom was clear before locking the door. She turned to Shizuru with a serious expression as she began to unload her worries on the unsuspecting brunette.

"What if my friend donated her eggs and the child suddenly found her? What if he wanted to stay with her? Could she keep him?"

"What?"

"Could she keep him," Botan repeated urgently.

Shizuru paused thoughtfully, folding her arms underneath her chest as she took on a more contemplative look.

"If he is with his intended parents, then it would be very difficult for your friend to gain custody of him. It would most like be a long and messy legal battle."

"But what if he was in a foster home and he didn't want to be there? What if he wanted to stay with me?"

"Botan, you're scaring me," Shizuru said, her expression grave. "What's going on?"

"Please answer the question. I'll explain everything after, I promise," she swore.

Shizuru ran a hand through her hair with a sigh.

"If he was in the foster system, then his biological parents could regain custody. They prefer returning kids to their blood relatives, if possible."

Botan expelled a breath of air in relief.

"That's good to know."

"Now you start answering my questions. Why the third degree? Please don't tell me you're about to do something very stupid," Shizuru ordered.

"I have a son," Botan answered.

"Okay, you've officially lost it," Shizuru answered with a convinced nod of her head.

"When I had just started college, I donated my eggs to the clinic for scientific research. Money was tight and this was the only option at the time."

"You never told me that."

"I didn't think you would approve."

"Of course I don't approve!"

"Well it's too late to do anything about it now. There must have been some sort of mix-up because they ended up using my eggs in an in vitro pregnancy. His parents passed away when he was still an infant, he was handed over to the orphanage and then placed into foster care," Botan explained. "He found me today and he said that he wants to be with me."

"Botan…"

"I know he sounds crazy but from the moment I laid my eyes on him, I felt something strange. We spent the whole day together and it just felt right. He wants to be with me and I can't let him stay in a place where he isn't wanted."

"Are you saying you want him?"

"I think I do."

"Botan, this can't be a decision you make so suddenly and halfheartedly. This is a child we're talking about," Shizuru advised sternly.

"I know that. I'm weighing my options, but I'm honestly leaning towards adopting him."

"It's a lot to think about," Shizuru said. "And I know that you've got your own personal feelings on the issue, being an orphan yourself, I just want you to think it through carefully."

"I will."

"I can't say that I'm happy to hear about any of this. I wish you had told me that you were having such a hard time back in college. I could have helped you," Shizuru said.

Botan's looked to the floor guiltily.

"I couldn't possibly do that, Shizuru. You had your own life to worry about, as well as Kuwabara. I did what I thought I had to, and now, here I am, with a son that I didn't even know existed. I can't just ignore him and pretend that this isn't happening. He needs me."

Shizuru's expression softened. Behind her composed façade was a warm heart and compassionate spirit that Botan admired greatly.

"I understand," Shizuru said. "If you want to raise him, then you have every right to do so. No matter what you do end up deciding to do, I'll stand by you one-hundred percent."

Botan threw her arms around her friend and hugged her in a tight embrace.

"Thanks Shizuru."

Shizuru smiled in return, patting her on the back soothingly.

"Of course," she replied as the two broke apart. "What about the father? Was he another donor like you?"

"I have no idea," she replied. "I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn't even think to wonder about the father."

"Do you think he should know?"

"I honestly have no idea," Botan said.

Suddenly there was banging on the door.

"Hey! If you two are making out in there, I think it's only fair that you let the rest of us see!" Yusuke joked.

"Gross! That's my sister you're talking about, Urameshi!" Kuwabara's voice rang out loudly.

"She isn't my sister so I'm completely okay with it."

Botan's eyes shifted from the door to Shizuru.

"I don't want to say anything to the others until things are more definite," she said, her tone hushed.

"My lips are sealed."

Shizuru opened the door, glaring at the two boys and effectively silencing them as the four returned to their table. Botan took a seat, ignoring the strange stares she was subtly receiving from everyone. She wondered what Kai was up to now and hoped that he was doing okay. He must have had a valid reason for his aversion to the foster home and she hoped that he was not being mistreated.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Yusuke questioned. "The last time you got all distracted and quiet was when you had that major crush on Shishiwakamaru back in college. You got a secret mystery guy you're hiding from us?"

Botan choked on her drink and Shizuru patted her on the back as she regained her breath.

"Why would you say such a ridiculous thing like that?" Botan stammered. "Nothing of the sort is going on."

Yusuke and Kuwabara continued to stare at her suspiciously as she looked away innocently.

"Leave her alone. It's girl stuff – something that neither of you need to be concerned over," Shizuru warned.

"Maybe it's that time of the month," Kuwabara mumbled to Yusuke, grunting in pain when he received a swift kick under the table from his sister.

Botan cast a thankful smile in Shizuru's direction. She felt better about the situation now that she had Shizuru on her side.

* * *

Botan knew in her heart that Kai was hers, but she needed the official confirmation to ease her mind. Shizuru had encouraged Botan to call up the foster home for more information and she took her up on that advice. Upon contacting the foster home and explaining the situation (Botan had tactfully decided to omit the fact that Kai snuck out to meet her, and instead said that she happened to learn of her child's situation and wanted to get to know him) she was then directed to Kai's social worker. Kagura had agreed to meet Botan at the social services office and a few days later, she was face to face with the woman.

Kagura was the picture of professionalism. Her posture was upright and graceful, hair tied into a neat bun and thin-framed glasses resting on the bridge of her small nose. Black eyes examined Botan for a moment, before she smiled politely.

"Botan Himura. It's very nice to meet you," Kagura said as she extended a well-manicured hand towards Botan.

"Likewise," Botan said, returning the gesture.

"It feels like I've known you for as long as I've known Kai."

"Excuse me?"

"I take a personal interest in all of my cases. Kai's especially," Kagura said, pulling out two folders. "He is the result of an in vitro procedure where both samples were given from two complete strangers. Yours and the father's."

Botan's eyes widened.

"Can I see my file?" she asked curiously.

"Of course," Kagura said, handing it over to Botan. "I have been involved with Kai's case since its inception and naturally, I've become acquainted with everything that has to do with Kai, your file included."

"I see," Botan replied. Well, at least the woman was thorough. She shifted through her file, eyes widening at the confirmation that she was the biological mother. According to the information provided, her eggs were meant for donation and there was some sort of clause that stated that she had willfully given up all rights to her child. But she never agreed to any of this. The clinic on block seven was listed, along with a Dr. Kamiya. She would have to find answers from him if she wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"It's not every day that a biological parent shows interest in a child that they have given up," Kagura stated.

"I didn't give him up-" Botan started.

"Yes, that was perhaps a poor choice of words," Kagura interrupted. "As an egg donor, you signed your eggs over under the stipulation that he would be provided with a stable and caring home. You gave up all rights to the child. As such, you would not have been alerted to the fact that his intended parents passed away and that he was placed into the foster care system."

"How did they pass away?"

"It was a car accident. Head on collision. Kai was the only survivor as he was in the backseat."

"That's horrible."

"It was," Kagura recalled.

"If I gave up all rights to him in the past, does that mean that it will be difficult for us to have a relationship now?"

Kagura shook her head.

"The circumstances of this case are not as black and white as the system allotted for. There are gray areas, and as a result, we are more than open to reuniting Kai with his biological mother."

"And what about the father?" Botan questioned curiously, as her eyes strayed over to the untouched file near Kagura's left hand.

"Ah," Kagura said, pulling it open and sifting through it. "He has also opted to give up all rights to the child."

Botan leaned forward as she tried to catch a glimpse of the file, but was halted in her actions when Kagura closed the file.

"The father will not be an issue," Kagura stated.

"Okay," Botan nodded.

"I am pleased that you stepped forward today," Kagura admitted. "Kai is a bit of a special case."

"What do you mean?" Botan asked.

"Well, he is a gifted child, blessed with intelligence beyond his years. He's also very crafty," she said, smiling fondly. "However, he is a bit guarded and closed off. He has trouble making friends and opening up to others. He also has a disregard for rules and is very independent. He hasn't really trusted anyone."

Botan frowned. She had known that Kai was a bit closed off, but she didn't know that it was to this extent. He must have had a difficult life until now and she wondered why he chose to put his confidence in her.

"I do hope to see him placed in a warm, loving home. We prefer to give children to their biological families, if possible, so we were pleased that you contacted us. I know that you haven't expressed an intent to officially adopt the boy, but something tells me that you are thinking of it."

"I am," Botan acknowledged.

"We allow visitation rights, so that you and Kai can get to know each other better. Think of it as a trial period."

"I would really like to see him again."

"I'm headed over there myself. Do you want a lift?"

"That would be wonderful," Botan smiled.

Kagura returned the files to the filing cabinet and collected her things. Botan followed her into her car and strapped on her seatbelt as Kagura started the car.

"Kai has a distrust for most adults. If you're really thinking of adopting him, please don't be halfhearted with it."

"I don't want to give him false hope, either," Botan explained. "I just… I'm not really in the right place or state of stability to have a child."

"Yes, I agree," Kagura said as she backed out of the office parking lot and onto the street. "I ran a background check and the only cause for concern would be your financial situation."

"Are you allowed to do that?" Botan exclaimed, brows rising in shock.

"With all parental prospects, yes," Kagura answered.

"But you know that I haven't officially tried to adopt him, yet."

"Precisely why I am telling you this in my car instead of in the office," the woman responded calmly.

"You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" Botan accused lightly.

"I told you, I took a special interest in Kai. I want him to find a good home."

"And you think he can have that with me?"

"I think he deserves a family."

"Are you saying that I can give that to him?"

"You're the only one who can decide that, miss."

Botan nodded. Kagura was right. It was up to her to make the decision and follow through accordingly. The rest of the ride was spent in silence and soon enough, they pulled into the driveway of the foster home.

"I'll lead you to his room."

"Thank you."

Botan followed Kagura through a hallway, noticing a few other kids scattered around the house. She led Botan to the last room, and when she entered, she saw Kai sitting on the bed on the left.

"You have a visitor," Kagura announced.

Kai whipped his head towards their direction, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Botan… you really came," he spoke.

"Of course I did," Botan said, ruffling his hair.

"I'll give you two some time," Kagura said, taking her leave.

"So, this is your room, huh?" Botan said as she looked around the space. "It's pretty nice."

"Yeah, it's okay," he answered with a shrug. "I share it with Saito and he's a real jerk, though."

Botan was upset to hear that, but she kept her expression neutral as she took a seat at the edge of the bed. Among Kai's belongings were a blue cap, some small toy cars and other things. Botan picked up the blue teddy bear.

"Well, isn't this just adorable," she gushed.

"It was the last thing I had from my other parents," he explained, scratching at the back of his head as an embarrassed flush washed over his cheeks.

"I think it's great that you have something to remember them by," Botan said as she placed it back on his bed. She continued looking around his corner of the room. "So…is blue your favorite color?"

"Bingo!"

Botan froze. That was the exact same catchphrase she used regularly. It was strange how he had taken up the same habit without even knowing her.

"I'll keep that in mind for future reference," she said with a wink.

"I'm really glad that you came," he said suddenly.

"So am I," Botan answered honestly.

As she returned his bright and open grin, Botan remembered something that Kagura had said.

"…Can I ask you something?" she questioned.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"Kagura was telling me that you have a hard time with authority and that you are a bit guarded," she started cautiously.

"That's because I have a difficult personality," he said. "Or at least that's what my foster parents say."

"But you're not difficult with me."

He shook his head.

"Why is that?" Botan pressed.

"Because you're my mom," he said easily. "Because I can trust you."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do," he responded with complete assuredness.

Botan didn't want to let him down. He must have been disappointed by so many others in the past that he believed only his family could treat him right. She remembered dreaming and hoping for her parents to find her one-day, until she learned that they simply did not want to be found. But she was different than them and Kai was counting on her. She wanted him, more than ever now, and she would find a way to ensure that they could be together.

"I understand. I feel the same about you," Botan told him honestly.

Kai nodded.

There was a knock on the door and Kagura returned.

"I'll be leaving in half an hour. You're free to stay longer, but if you'd like a ride back, then let me know."

"Thanks Kagura," Botan said, standing up from the bed to face her. "Can I have a word with you?"

Kagura nodded, "Of course."

"Excuse me for a moment," Botan told Kai as she followed after Kagura.

She closed the room door and stepped into the empty hallway.

"I do want to adopt him," Botan said. "I'm in between jobs right now, but I will absolutely get myself together. I'll work multiple jobs if I have to. He won't want or need anything if he's with me, I assure you."

"I thought so," Kagura said. "I can see that you have the best of intentions, but until we are sure that you can properly care for Kai, I can't allow you to start the adoption process."

"I understand."

"I'm sure you will figure it all out," Kagura said. "You are his mother, after all."

Botan nodded resolutely.

* * *

Hiei was displeased to find that he and Botan were the first ones to show up to at the bar tonight. He sat at the edge furthest from her and checked his watch. He had purposely come ten minutes late, and he wondered why the others had yet to arrive. He strummed his fingers against the wooden table, gaze fixed on an indiscriminate point in the distance as he ignored the blue-haired woman.

"How was your day?" Botan asked casually.

"I don't feel like indulging you in small talk," he answered.

"Alright, how about we have a more substantial conversation then," she suggested, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands interestedly. "How did you meet Yusuke and Kuwabara?"

"What?"

"Well, you seem like the anti-social type. The complete opposite of the two, and yet, you're all friends," Botan pointed out.

"Friends is a generous term, but I could say the same for you, woman," he countered.

"I'm not anti-social!" she defended.

"You're the complete opposite of Yusuke as well," he clarified. "Though, I suppose your common lack of intelligence would draw you to each other."

Her features sharpened in anger as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's an awfully rude thing to say!"

"Hn."

"I met the two of them in college," Botan said matter-of-factly. "We were placed in the same orientation group, and I guess the rest is history."

Hiei remained silent.

"Don't you want to share?" Botan prodded, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Do I look like the sharing type?" he gritted in response.

"No, but, we run in the same social circle. We might as well be friends, don't you think?"

"No, I don't."

"It's really hard to hold a conversation with you, you know that?" she reproached.

"Then stop trying."

Botan scoffed at him, before pulling out her phone. Hiei wasn't the nosy type, but the way her expression changed prompted him to glance down at the device. There was a picture of a boy on the screen. He looked oddly familiar, but Hiei could not place why.

"What do you think about kids?" Botan asked suddenly, looking up to meet his gaze.

His brow crinkled in confusion, wondering why she would ask such a strange question when it was clear that he did not want to speak with her.

"Well?" she pressed.

"I don't think about kids. I have never had an inclination towards them and don't plan on having any in the future."

"That's depressing."

"That's your own misguided opinion," he replied. He had his reasons for not wanting children and it was none of her business.

"You're right. I guess it's your prerogative not to have kids. To be honest, I can't imagine you as a father, anyway. You're far too abrasive."

She was right about that and Hiei conceded with a grunt.

"Do you think I would be a good mother?" she wondered.

Hiei regarded her with a raised brow.

"I don't even know you, woman."

"I mean, based off of your first impression of me… do you think I could do it?" she tried.

Hiei paused to examine her. From what he knew about the woman, she was clumsy, overly emotional and still looking for a stable job.

"You seem highly irresponsible and lack sensibility. So no."

"Well that's rude, Hiei! I'm sure I could be a perfectly good mother."

"Believe what you want, woman. You asked for my opinion and I gave it," he answered.

He caught sight of orange, curly hair and for the first time in his life, he was almost grateful for the presence of the oaf. The others began filing in and taking up the spaces within the booth, drawing Botan's attention away from him and onto them. He was still getting used to her strange personality and habit of over-sharing. She was certainly the type of person he was naturally averted to, but that did not explain the ominous feeling that settled in his chest every time she was near.

* * *

Tonight was the night that Botan had resolved to tell the group everything. They deserved to know, after all. She had attempted to quell her unease by having a nice conversation with Hiei. She intended to get to know him a bit and form a bit of camaraderie with him, but as usual, Hiei made things difficult. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, as Shizuru took a seat beside her.

"There's something I needed to tell you all," Botan announced.

"What is it, Botan?" Kuwabara asked, sensing the seriousness in her tone.

"I have a child."

"What?" Yusuke croaked, choking on his beer as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"A kid?" Kuwabara muttered under his breath as he tried to process the information.

Kurama and Hiei remained silent, both of their expressions unchanged.

"I just found out recently, but I've got a seven year old boy named Kai," Botan elaborated.

"How did you not know you had a kid running around?" Yusuke asked in skepticism.

"The truth is, back in college, I donated my eggs to the local clinic."

"Are you for real?" Yusuke interrupted, the disbelief written all over his face.

"It's not uncommon for women to donate their eggs," Kurama explained, attempting to quell the situation. "I've had a few friends who have done the same."

Yusuke tore his gaze from Kurama's form to pin Botan with a regretful look.

"Still… if you needed money that badly, you should have told me," he argued.

"I couldn't possibly ask you for something like that. We all had our own troubles," Botan reminded him. "This was the only option I had at the time. I was told it was for research only, but there must have been some miscalculation."

"So you're saying they accidentally used your eggs in some kind of in vitro procedure?" Kurama asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately the intended parents passed away quite early into the child's infancy and he was placed into an orphanage. At the moment, he's staying at a foster home in Tama."

"And no one's ever tried to contact you about him?" Kuwabara asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," Botan answered. "If I had known… I wouldn't have left him all alone. I wouldn't have let things get to this point."

"You should sue," Yusuke suggested off-handedly. "I'm sure the clinic will give you a nice and large settlement. And you can always hire Shizuru, free of charge."

"That's ridiculous. Doing so would just mean that Kai was a mistake," Botan responded.

"Technically, he kind of is, isn't he?" Yusuke replied.

Shizuru slapped Yusuke in the back of his head before Botan had the chance to.

"The kid's birth might not have been intentional, but he's here now. Don't refer to him as a mistake," she chastised harshly.

"I didn't mean it like that," Yusuke grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"In any case… I want to adopt him officially," Botan announced.

"That is a big decision to make so suddenly," Kurama noted. "Have you thought it through clearly? Considered the financial and legal aspects to it?"

She was glad that Kurama had taken the initiative to respond because so far, the others were not helping. Yusuke had only been exploding in angered outbursts and unhelpful comments, Kuwabara's expression was entirety unreadable and Hiei was clearly emotionally detached from the situation. She needed some sort of reaction from them, and Kurama was the calmest and most sensible of all.

"Not really," Botan admitted. "But I'm going to make it work. I'll do whatever I have to do to ensure that he can stay with me."

"You're very sure of this," Kurama observed.

"Yes," she answered. "I've only spent a small amount of time with him, but he's my son. I can't just leave him to the foster system. He deserves the chance at a normal life with his family."

Hiei chose that moment to scoff.

"I know it sounds impulsive and emotional," Botan admitted as she glanced at Hiei momentarily. "But I just have this feeling. I know that what I'm doing is right and I would really appreciate everyone's support."

They were all quiet and Botan began to feel her confidence waver. Along with Koenma and Hinageshi, she considered Yusuke, Kuwabara and Shizuru to be the family she never had. She needed them to believe in her almost as much as she needed to believe in herself.

"You've got my full support," Shizuru said resolutely.

"Mine too," Kuwabara added. "It sounds crazy, but I don't have a bad feeling about this. Maybe this is the way things were supposed to happen all along."

"Not with the ESP thing again," Yusuke groaned, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Shut up Urameshi! You know my instincts are always right!" Kuwabara huffed.

Yusuke conceded with a sigh.

"What the hell… count me in too. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Just try not to stick me with babysitting. I suck with kids."

Botan smiled at their ready acceptance of her situation. She knew that they would support her – she should have never doubted them.

"We haven't known each other for very long, but for what it's worth, I think you've made a very brave and selfless decision," Kurama commended. "I have a younger brother of my own. If you need any tips or outside counsel, I am here as well."

They all turned to Hiei, whose features remained stoic.

"Don't look at me. I have nothing to contribute to this particular situation," Hiei stated.

Botan smiled at the rest of the group.

"In any case, I'm glad that I've got the rest of your blessings."

"So, what does the little tyke look like?" Yusuke wondered, rubbing a hand at his chin.

"He's absolutely adorable," Botan gushed. "I've got a few pictures of him, just give me a moment…"

She swiped through her phone and displayed a picture of Kai. He was staring at the camera with a slight smile on his lips.

"He's got your hair and eyes," Shizuru noted. "And your smile."

Botan's expression brightened upon hearing that.

"I can't wait for you all to meet him," she said. "I just know that you will all like him."

* * *

Hiei glanced away as they all prattled about the child. He couldn't understand how they could all be so supportive of what was clearly a lapse in the woman's judgment.

"Well, this calls for a round of drinks to celebrate!" Yusuke cheered.

"Let me go with you," Shizuru offered. "The last time you ordered us shots, it was disgusting."

"It wasn't disgusting, you just don't have a taste for good drinks," he argued as the two continued to argue until they reached the bar.

"I've gotta go tell Yukina the good news," Kuwabara announced, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket and running to a somewhat quieter corner of the bar.

Hiei rolled his eyes at Kuwabara's excitement as he jabbered to his sister on the other line, before returning his attentions to a smiling Botan.

"You're crazy," he said, not really understanding why he felt the need to voice his opinion.

Her smile immediately dropped.

"What?"

"You're insane."

"Excuse me?"

"No sensible person would do what you're doing."

"That's your own misguided opinion," Botan countered, using his own words against him.

"It's fact derived from common knowledge."

"Say what you like, mister, but this is happening," she said resolutely. "And even though we haven't known each other for very long, it would mean a lot if you at least pretended as if what I was doing wasn't the craziest thing in the world."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why would you do all of this for a child that you hardly know?"

"Because he's mine," Botan said simply. "If you were in my position, you would understand and I have no doubt that you would do the same."

Hiei was slightly taken aback by the resolution and firmness in her gaze. For such a flighty and happy-go-lucky woman, she was deadly serious about this. He didn't have a chance to respond to her as she shuffled out of the booth and towards Yusuke and Shizuru.

"No, don't order that one! It makes Kuwabara all handsy!" she called out.

"I knew I should have cut all ties with Yusuke Urameshi after high school," Hiei grumbled, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest tightly.

Kurama let out a light chuckle.

"The situation is unorthodox, but we should show our support," he counseled in that good-natured way of his.

"If any of you were the friends you claimed to be you would have stopped her from making a huge mistake," Hiei said.

"Why would you say that?"

"I wouldn't disrupt my entire life because the clinic made a mistake. She might over romanticize the situation and call it fate or destiny, but I can see it for what it really is: the most unfortunate of circumstances. She had a child without her knowledge or consent. And now she is saddled with the responsibility of taking care of that child until he is a legal adult. Her life is over."

"On the contrary, this is a new beginning for her. Having a child brings many new experiences."

"Hn, she isn't being rational."

"Perhaps she is seeing something that you cannot. You look at this like it is a curse, but she sees it as a blessing."

"There is nothing fortunate about this situation."

"That is your perspective."

The others returned to the table with drinks and Kuwabara followed shortly after.

"Yukina said she's really excited for you, Botan."

"Thank you," Botan replied. "I still can't believe that this is happening."

"You and me both," Yusuke said, raising his glass. "But we should celebrate anyway. To Kai."

"To Kai," they all responded, except for Hiei. He was driving tonight, but besides that, he had no intentions of joining in on this particular toast.

"That was awful!" Botan said with a grimace, setting her glass down on the table.

"Told you," Shizuru said.

"Nah, you girls are just lightweights," Yusuke dismissed.

"No, that was pretty nasty, Urameshi," Kuwabara agreed.

"Like I said, you _girls_ are just lightweights," he grinned.

The two exploded into another one of their petty fight as Kurama turned to view Botan.

"You'll have to start making arrangements for Kai," he mentioned. "What is your living situation like?"

"I've got a spare bedroom," Botan answered. "I was planning on finding another roommate, but I guess it's a good thing that I didn't in the end."

Yusuke paused in his argument with Kuwabara to shoot Botan with an accusatory frown.

"We've never even seen your apartment yet. That's pretty rude of you."

"I was going to invite you all once I got settled in," she explained in defense.

"No better time than the present," Yusuke suggested.

"You mean right now?" Botan squawked.

"Why not?"

"Um… are you sure you guys want to?" she asked.

"I've had my fill of this place for the night," Shizuru agreed.

"Me too," Kuwabara replied.

Kurama nodded his assent.

"A-alright, it's only a few minutes away," she divulged.

"I'll stay behind and wait for Yukina," Kuwabara offered.

"No, you won't," Hiei answered, cutting his hard gaze from Kuwabara to Botan. "Give me your address."

"Huh?"

"I'll pick Yukina up and drop her off there," he explained.

"Okay, I'll text my address to the group chat," she said, referring to the group message that Yusuke set up for them to keep in contact and coordinate meet up times. "And you're welcome to stay, too, though I'm sure you'll decline the offer."

Hiei afforded her an impressed look.

"So you aren't as daft as you appear to be."

"Hmph!"

He watched disinterestedly as the group exited the bar, before looking down at the table and realizing that he was the only one left to settle the bill. Shortly after paying the tab, his phone buzzed with Botan's address. The woman's apartment was within walking distance of his home and as such, he would have no trouble finding it. The hospital that Yukina worked at was further away, though, so he would have drive to retrieve her.

The walk back to his apartment took all of five minutes. The cold, calm night air was enough to clear his thoughts, but as he entered his car, Botan's words from earlier returned to him.

" _If you were in my position, you would understand and I have no doubt that you would do the same."_

He frowned. She was wrong. He would never do what she was doing, but at least he would never be put in the position of making his firm resolution a reality.

* * *

Botan led the group back to her place, thankful that she had decided to tidy up before she had left for the bar that night. Shizuru and Kurama were seated on the couch, watching as Kuwabara flipped through the channels on the television from the opposite couch. Yusuke had just finished whipping up some food in the kitchen and Botan was helping him plate it. He made something as simple as onigiri, but she knew that it would be one of the best things she had ever tasted. She packed a box to go for Hiei out of the goodness of her heart, fully well knowing that he wouldn't want to stay after dropping Yukina off.

The doorbell rung shortly after and Shizuru stood up from her position on the couch.

"That must be Yukina and Hiei. I'll get it," the brunette called out.

She answered the door, wholly surprised to find a small boy on the other side. Brown orbs widened slightly as the recognition kicked in.

"Kai?" she asked experimentally.

"That's me," the boy responded. "Is Botan home?"

All eyes turned to the boy dressed in a light coat, baggy pants and sneakers.

"Uh, Botan? It looks like we have a surprise guest," Kuwabara called out.

Botan wandered into the living room, eyes wide when she spotted Kai entering her apartment.

"Kai?" Botan exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"A couple came by today and said they wanted to adopt me," he said, eyes shifting away from hers nervously. "I said that I didn't want to, but I don't know what will happen."

Botan looked towards Shizuru worriedly, but the brunette did not appear to be troubled.

"If he doesn't want to go with them, then the courts can't force the adoption," Shizuru informed them.

"How do you know?" Kai asked, looking up at her distrustfully.

"Because I'm a lawyer. It's my job to know the law."

Kai nodded, seeming to take her words to heart and Botan could see his features relax a little. But she was still on edge.

"It's late. How on earth did you get all the way out here?" she asked.

"The bus," he answered easily.

"All by yourself?" Kuwabara asked with a concerned frown.

"I'm not a baby," Kai shot back defensively. "Besides, I'm not allowed to leave without my foster parents, so I snuck out."

"I like this kid already," Yusuke announced with a grin, joining them as he exited from the kitchen.

"You really shouldn't have snuck out like that, Kai," Botan said, ignoring Yusuke for the moment. "I'm sure your foster parents will be worried. And you could get in trouble!"

"They probably don't even know I'm gone," he countered.

"Still…"

"Aw, cut the kid some slack, Botan," Yusuke said. "He just wanted to see you is all."

Botan was trying to be as responsible as possible, but it was very heartwarming to think that her child had come looking for her a second time. She looked down at him fondly. He really was something else.

Kai's eyes wandered to the rest of the group curiously and Botan took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me, these are my friends," she introduced. "Yusuke, Shizuru, Kuwabara and Kurama."

Kai nodded at them silently.

"I'm afraid I'll have to bring you back to the foster home," Botan announced. "I don't want you to get into any trouble."

"Aw, but we only just met him. Let him stay a little longer," Kuwabara urged, already smitten with the child.

"Kuwabara!" she said, shooting him a pointed look.

"Can I stay for a while?" Kai pleaded with a pout that ate away at her resolve. "Please?"

"Oh, alright," Botan conceded. "But only for a little while."

Kai let out an exclamation of triumph as he took a seat. Everyone was staring at him, some more openly than others and Botan couldn't help but smile at the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"So, kid, how old are you?" Yusuke asked, breaking the ice.

"I'm seven and I'm not a kid."

"Yeah, you kinda are," Yusuke shot back immaturely.

Kai glared at Yusuke, but Kuwabara cut in.

"Urameshi's a big meanie, don't even bother with him," Kuwabara said, waving a dismissive hand in Yusuke's direction. "So, what do you do for fun?"

"…I like reading."

"That's it?" Yusuke asked.

"We've got a game system at the foster home, but the other kids are always hogging it," Kai mentioned.

"We have got one at our place. You can play it any time you want," Kuwabara offered.

"Not any time… especially not if I've got a lady friend over, if you catch my drift," Yusuke wiggling his eyebrows lewdly.

"Yusuke!" Botan admonished. "Don't be a pervert in front of Kai."

"Geez, you suddenly find out you have a kid and go all "mom" on me," he joked.

"It's obvious that you're very smart for your age, but how did you manage to find Botan?" Kurama inquired.

"I found my file from the orphanage. It had Botan's name in it and I looked for her online," Kai recited.

"Spunky little kid you've got there," Yusuke noted and Botan smiled in agreement.

"I wonder what my file looked like?" she wondered curiously.

"I made a copy. Do you want to see?" Kai offered.

"You took it from the orphanage?" Botan asked, eyes rounded in surprise.

"Yeah, I didn't think it was a big deal," he shrugged, as he rummaged through his backpack and handed the file to her.

Botan opened up her file inquisitively. It contained her picture, her name, date if birth, blood type and medical history. It was very barren and that was to be expected, considering she was an orphan herself and there was not much to say about her family history.

"Hey kid, do you have your father's file, too?" Yusuke asked.

Kai nodded.

"You stole that too?" Botan berated.

Kai pouted guiltily.

"You never said I couldn't..."

Botan sighed, rubbing her temples in exasperation.

"Can I show it to them?" Kai asked, snapping Botan out of her thoughts.

"Well, I suppose there's no sense in avoiding it any longer. I am sort of curious about who he is, too."

They all watched as he pulled a file out of his backpack. She had no relation to the stranger other than the fact that his genes helped to make up the child she called her own, but she was curious to learn more about him. She felt her nerves building in anticipation and then the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Hiei and Yukina," Yusuke said.

"Hiei?" Kai repeated softly.

"Yeah and his twin sister, Yukina. They're as different as night and day, though," Yusuke replied, as he moved to answer the door.

Botan noticed the way that Kai halted in his actions, placing all of his attentions on the newcomers. She followed his gaze and watched as Yusuke ushered Hiei and Yukina inside with a grin.

"Welcome to Botan's humble abode, and before you ask, yes her kid did sneak out at night to come and see her," Yusuke greeted.

"He's here?" Yukina asked, ruby eyes alight with excitement.

"Yep and he was just about to show us his father's file. None of us knows who the poor bastard is."

"Yusuke! Don't refer to his father like that. For all we know he could be an upstanding citizen!" Botan exclaimed.

"Or a convicted criminal," Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

Botan's face fell but Kurama took a step towards her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Ignore him," Kurama instructed. "Chances are he's just a regular person like the rest of us."

"Let's hope so," Botan said, before turning her attention to the twins. "Please come in."

Kai's purple eyes widened upon getting a better view of Hiei and the forgotten file fell out of his limp hands. Hiei held Kai's gaze, brow raised in slight confusion as his own eyes narrowed defensively.

"Kai? What's wrong?" Botan asked, a concerned frown tugging at her features.

"That's him…" he trailed off, pointing at Hiei. "That's my dad."

* * *

The truth is out! Next chapter will reveal Hiei's reaction and subsequent decisions involving his dilemma. Hope you're all looking forward to it!

Thank you to all of those who provided feedback in the last chapter. I was very glad to see that people are interested in this AU. Please let me know your thoughts on this monster of a chapter as well!


	3. Chapter 3

Hiei had only intended to drop Yukina off to Botan's place and leave, but he lingered in the doorway when Yusuke announced that her child was here. The boy was staring at him, purple eyes wide with shock and recognition and mouth slightly ajar. Hiei's gaze narrowed defensively as he stared back at the child in confusion.

"Kai? What's wrong?" Botan asked the child, concern furrowing her brow as she examined the boy.

"That's him…" he uttered, voice slightly above a whisper as he pointed a small finger in Hiei's direction. "That's my dad."

The entire room went silent and although Hiei felt all eyes on him, he was completely removed from the situation in a state of disbelief and detachment.

"N-no, that can't be right," Botan said, voice shaky as she broke the silence. "Maybe you're mistaken."

Kai shook his head.

"He looks exactly like the picture in my file," he declared. "Hiei Jaganshi, age 27, born on November 7th, blood type O."

There was another moment of silence, before the others all moved to collect the file. Botan was the first one to reach it, being the closest one to Kai. The rest of the group crowded around her as she shuffled through the papers and returned her gaze to meet Hiei hesitantly.

"It's true… You really are his father," she confirmed.

It felt as though he had been submerged in ice-cold water; heart going still in his chest as his blood ran cold in his veins. He couldn't be this boy's father. It had to be a sick joke or a colossal mistake. There was no way that this could ever be true.

"Hiei?"

Yukina's voice snapped him out of his musings and his eyes locked onto the file. He marched over to Botan, nearly ripping the report out of her hands as he roughly sifted through the papers. It listed his name, date of birth, health records and some other miscellaneous information along with a photo. He heard Botan whispering something soothing to the boy, but he could not be bothered to care as he closed the file definitively.

"This has to be a mistake," he concluded firmly.

"I don't know… the kid's file looks pretty legit," Yusuke noted, crossing his arms with a contemplative look passing over his usually relaxed expression.

"It's not possible," Hiei denied.

"Perhaps it is. Didn't you also donate to the clinic?" Kurama asked Hiei quietly.

Botan's eyes rounded in surprise, head whipping in their direction.

"The one on Block 7?" she questioned.

Kurama nodded gravely in Hiei's stead.

"That's the very same clinic that I went to," Botan revealed.

"It doesn't matter, because I never agreed to this," Hiei insisted.

"Neither did I," Botan explained softly. "I know it's a lot to process, but we really don't have any reason to distrust what Kai says or what is clearly listed in our files."

"We need to take a DNA test," Hiei said instead, eyes passing over the boy and returning to Botan.

"Don't be silly," she countered. "His file is right here and it lists us as his parents."

"People make mistakes."

"This is ridiculous," she exclaimed.

"You're right, woman, it is ridiculous," Hiei agreed, a biting edge to his tone as he continued. "Especially if you expect me to believe that I've fathered a child with you."

"Hey now-" Yusuke cut in.

"Be quiet," Hiei ordered harshly. "Rather than take everything that the child says for face value, I am choosing to find concrete answers." He paused to look at Botan. "Are you coming or not?"

She stared back at him resignedly, brow crinkled as she finally nodded her assent. She then turned towards the boy, affording him a sympathetic smile and her outreached hand.

"Let's go."

Kai nodded obediently as he placed his hand within hers and together, they exited the apartment. The ride to the hospital was a tense-filled and silent one. No one said a word and Hiei angrily gripped at the steering wheel as he continued to drive.

"You need to calm down," Botan told him quietly.

"I'm not in the mood for your nagging," he responded through gritted teeth.

Botan reached a hand out to turn the volume on the radio up. Hiei's first response was to snap at her, but then he noticed that she had turned the volume to the rear of the car, where the child was currently seated.

"I understand that you're on edge right now, but what if all of this is true? What if he's really your son? Is this the very first impression that you want him to have of you?" Botan questioned imploringly.

Hiei glanced back at Kai from the rear view mirror and swallowed thickly.

"I can't afford to think like that right now," he answered tightly.

Botan sighed in defeat and she sunk back into the passenger's seat. She seemed to have given up on calming down and that was just fine by him. Hiei found himself glimpsing back at Kai from the rear view mirror once more. The blue-haired boy was too busy staring outside of the window to notice the tension in the car, but even from his profile, Hiei could see traces of himself in the boy. He returned his eyes to the road, dismissing the thought immediately. He couldn't have a son. It was never a part of his plan. This whole thing had to be a strange, unexplainable coincidence.

They reached the clinic within minutes and Hiei wasted no time as he stalked to the front desk. The patients in the waiting room were clearly startled by his brusque entrance, but he was unconcerned with pleasantries and civilities at this point.

"I need a paternity test, now," he instructed, glaring down at the receptionist seated behind the glass.

"Have you made an appointment?" she asked, fingers tinkering away at the keyboard as she stared at the computer screen before her.

"No, but this is urgent. I need one done tonight."

She pulled her blue eyes away from the computer to give Hiei a somewhat exasperated look.

"I'm sorry sir, but no more appointments are available for tonight. We will have to go through the normal procedure and set up a date and time for your test."

Hiei cursed loudly, drawing the attention of the others in the waiting room.

Botan ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about this," she whispered to Kai.

He only shook his head.

"It's not your fault. It's probably my fault."

"It's nobody's fault," Botan said. "Hiei's just…"

"Processing?" Kai filled in.

"Yes, that's it."

"You," Hiei barked over at a nurse, who was crossing the hall. "Get us a doctor and room, now."

The girl floundered, looking between the receptionist and Hiei fearfully.

"Sir, please you have to calm down. I'll be forced to call the police if you continue to act like this," the receptionist warned.

"There'll be no need for any of that," a new voice said.

Hiei turned to see a brown-haired, bespectacled doctor enter the waiting room.

"I will see them in my office," he announced.

"But Doctor Kamiya," the receptionist began.

"Don't worry, I was expecting them," he reassured.

Botan looked over at him confusedly, but he only smiled in return.

"Hana, please watch over the boy while I talk with his parents."

The receptionist nodded dutifully as Botan looked back at Kai for confirmation.

"It's okay, you can go," Kai reassured. "I'll wait out here."

"Okay then, we'll be right back," Botan promised.

Hiei's eyes cut to the doctor as he held a hand out towards the north hallway.

"Please, follow me," he prompted, leading them towards his office.

* * *

"Hiei's the father…" Yusuke said slowly, eyes unmoving and wide as he sat on the couch.

"I can't say I expected this at all," Kurama expressed.

"Hiei's the father?" Yusuke repeated questioningly.

"It makes sense, though," Shizuru reasoned. "He did admit to donating his fluids to the same clinic that Botan donated her eggs to."

"Wait a minute, so let me get this straight…" Yusuke started, drawing everyone's attention. "Hiei's really the father?"

Kuwabara groaned.

"Yes, Urameshi, for the thousandth time: Hiei's Kai's father. Can you please say something else?" the orange-haired man snapped in frustration.

"No… I think it's gonna take a minute for it to really sink in," Yusuke replied numbly. "This feels more like a bad episode of Maury than an our actual, real lives."

"Just ignore him," Shizuru advised. "He'll catch up eventually."

Yukina took a step forward, her ruby eyes focused on the file that Hiei discarded when he left the apartment.

"If my brother really is Kai's father, then that means that I had a nephew this whole time and I never knew about him…" Yukina said quietly.

"Yukina?" Kuwabara asked sympathetically.

"If I feel this horrible, I can't imagine what Hiei and Botan must be facing right now," she admitted sadly. "And it hurts me to think of what Kai must have gone through at such a young age."

"What's important is that we all know about him now," Kurama stressed. "We can't afford to think of what occurred in the past."

"Isn't that kind of important, though?" Yusuke piped in. "How the hell do you mix up the samples for not one parent, but two? And of all people's – how the hell do you mix Hiei's and Botan's?"

"I suppose they will find out tonight, when they visit the clinic," Kurama answered, gaze drifting towards the window and wondering what the pair were currently in the midst of.

"It could just be a simple case of human error. When people are overworked, inattentive or simply just careless, these things occur," Shizuru recalled. "I've seen a few lawsuits against hospitals for accidentally placing the wrong nametags on newborns and handing over the wrong child to the wrong parents."

"That's awful," Yukina lamented with a frown.

"Yes, in some cases, no one notices until the families are already established and tearing them apart would be cruel. In others, the switch is corrected early enough for the damage to be temporary," Shizuru informed.

"And in Kai's case, he had to live a majority of his childhood without ever knowing the love of parents, or a family," Yukina said regretfully.

"It is unfortunate, but as I said, at least there is a chance for all of this to be corrected now. Botan is resolved in her decision to adopt him and Kai will have the chance at living a normal life with her," Kurama reminded them. "And in finding Botan, Kai has also found his father, his aunt and the rest of us."

"You're right," Shizuru agreed, folding her arms under her chest. "We'll make sure that the kid sees better days ahead."

Yusuke nodded.

"Now I've got double the reasons for helping out, I guess."

Yukina smiled at them, but remained silent.

"Hiei's reaction was pretty troubling, though," Shizuru mentioned as her features pulled into a frown.

Kuwabara and Yukina exchanged glances, and Kurama understood their train of thought. Hiei had never really spoken much about his past, but Kurama was able to piece together the story over the years. He understood Hiei's qualms about having a child, though the man could have handled it with a bit more grace and less aggression.

"Hiei has his reasons," Yukina defended simply. "Though I do hope he is managing to keep his anger in check."

"Yeah, I don't know how I would have reacted if I were in his shoes," Yusuke replied.

"You would probably just sit there mumbling about it until it sunk into your thick skull," Shizuru teased.

Yusuke couldn't deny that claim and so he simply shrugged.

"In any case, it would be best if we cleared out for now and allowed them to have some time and space to process everything," Kurama proposed.

"Kurama's right. We can grill them about it in the morning," Shizuru decided.

* * *

Botan took a seat in front of the doctor's desk, while Hiei stood beside her, far too wound up to sit down and talk amicably. She had always hated clinics, hospitals and doctors' offices and right now the nerves eating away at her were almost too much to bear. She wanted Kai to be hers and if the doctor announced that it was all a grave mistake, she did not know how she would handle it.

"Hiei Jaganshi and Botan Himura," Dr. Kamiya recited as he took off his glasses and rubbed at his temples. "Your names and faces have haunted me for years."

"You have some explaining to do, doctor," Hiei snarled, cutting the doctor with an unforgiving look.

"We are listed as Kai's biological parents, but the both of us never intended for our samples to be used in this way," Botan started, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. "Can you confirm that the information in his file is the truth?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, I can tell you with a hundred percent certainty that you two are, without a doubt, that child's parents," he started.

Relief was the first emotion to hit her, followed soon after by curiosity.

"How is this possible?" Botan asked.

"The nurse that was filing and labeling our inventory of samples made a mistake. She was stressed, overworked and overextended and had erroneously stored and marked your samples as ones intended reproduction. We had realized our mistake when it was far too late to do anything about it and pregnancy was underway," the doctor explained. "We could not contact either of you, because that would entail publicizing and admitting our mistake, so, we decided to keep it a secret."

"That is despicable," Botan said.

"As far as we were concerned, your child was going to be kept in capable hands. But when his intended parents passed away during his infancy… he was placed into an orphanage," the doctor admitted nervously.

"Why didn't you contact us?" Botan pressed. "Don't you think we had a right to know?"

"We had marked your files in such a way that you would never be contacted concerning the child. We did not want to disrupt your lives and figured that this was the best way to proceed," the doctor revealed, raising his hands up in defense when he saw the way that Botan's eyes narrowed. "I can give you a settlement, so long as you don't alert the authorities and media. We have a reputation to protect. This clinic shouldn't be to blame for one indiscretion."

"Hn. A simple settlement and quiet sweep under the rug isn't going to cut it," Hiei bit out. "You're not getting off the hook that easily."

"Hiei..." Botan began warily.

"This was a huge mistake," he reminded Botan bitterly. "They've ruined my life, they've ruined yours and they brought a child into this world who should never have been born."

Botan swallowed slowly as words failed her.

"I'm deeply sorry," Dr. Kamiya apologized, bowing his head guiltily. "This one secret has been eating me up from the inside. It's a mistake I will carry with me for the rest of my life and my deepest regret."

Botan looked towards Hiei sympathetically, but he didn't share her sentiments; his narrowed eyes were fixed on the doctor and his mouth twisted into a sneer.

"Your deepest regret has now become our problem," he reproached. "You can't expect us to sit quietly and take responsibility for the actions of your staff."

"I'm not asking you to take custody of the child. It's selfish and cowardly, but I'm asking you to look the other way. Whether you take him or not, that choice is yours."

Now it was Botan's turn to glower vehemently at the man.

"So you don't care at all about what happens to Kai? All you care about is covering your own tracks?"

"What's done is done, miss," he answered feebly, avoiding all eye contact as he stared at the floor. "There's no use in causing a commotion and disrupting the balance because of it."

"You're a cowardly man. You should be ashamed of yourself!" she yelled angrily.

Suddenly the office door swung open and a nurse entered the room worriedly.

"Is everything alright in here?"

"No, but it will be," she promised, glaring at the doctor. "Let's go, Hiei."

Hiei afforded the doctor with one last look of disdain before storming out. Botan followed suit, forcing a smile onto her face when Kai came into view. Her heart warmed at the sight of the boy and she felt most of her anger drain away at the sight of him reading one of the health magazines with interest. Hiei, on the other hand, was still wrapped up in his anger. He stalked straight past Kai and headed for the exit, leaving the compound entirely.

"Is everything okay?" Kai asked, standing up from his seat with an unsure expression.

"Everything's perfectly fine," Botan soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "In fact, it's better than just fine."

"So, was I right?" he asked hopefully. "Are you guys really my parents?"

Botan nodded.

"We are."

Kai let himself smile for a moment and then his joy tapered off when he looked towards the direction that Hiei went to.

"Hiei doesn't seem too happy about that," he noted.

"It's a lot to take in suddenly. He just needs some time," Botan comforted, frowning deeply as she followed Kai's gaze. Hiei was rightfully angry, but the real victim in all of this was the innocent boy standing at her side. He didn't deserve to be met with such hostility from his own father.

"Are you okay?"

Kai's small voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked back at him with a nod.

"Of course I'm alright," she said, placing her hands on her hips assuredly. "I was afraid that the doctor would say we weren't related, but it looks like I had nothing to worry about."

Kai grinned in response.

"I'm glad too."

Botan gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Let's get out of here, it's getting pretty late," she announced.

Together the two exited the clinic and found Hiei waiting for them at the front entrance from inside of his car. Botan was more than surprised to see that he was still here; she had expected him to be halfway back to Tokyo by now. After wordlessly reclaiming their seats, she glanced at Hiei from the corner of her eyes. His expression was still tense, knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. He was usually so in control. It was certainly shocking to see him so affected by this, but she supposed she couldn't hold it against him. Not everyone was as keen as children as she was.

She just hoped that they would all be okay in the end.

* * *

Hiei drove them to back Botan's apartment in silence. The others had the good sense to go home and save their questions, comments and opinions for another time, which suited Hiei just fine. He really did not have the energy or patience to deal with anybody at the moment.

"Kai, will you please go wait in the guest room while Hiei and I talk?" Botan instructed.

"Sure."

She waited until he was out of sight before turning to Hiei. He already knew that he would not appreciate whatever it was that she had to say and he steeled himself.

"I know that this isn't what you planned, but we can't just leave him like this," Botan said.

"There is something we can do for him," Hiei decided.

"I'm listening."

"We can send him back to his foster home."

Botan frowned.

"You know that I can't do that, Hiei."

"You've only know him for a few days," he pointed out.

"It doesn't matter if I've known him for a few hours. He's our son and he needs us!" came her ardent response. She paused for a moment to search his eyes imploringly, her tone softening as she continued. "We can do this, Hiei."

Suddenly Hiei's anger welled up. The woman was every bit as delusional and illogically emotional as he had originally pegged her as. He had no intentions of being dragged into this strange situation. He had a life. A plan. And none of it included a long lost son.

"There is no _we_ ," he spat. "There is you, me and a child - of whom none of us asked for or is qualified to raise."

"But you're his father," Botan reminded him, voice rising as her emotions heightened. "Don't you feel something for him? Isn't it your duty to be there for him?"

"The clinic made a mistake," Hiei gritted, hands balled into a fist as he tried to control his irritation. "I shouldn't be the one to pay for it."

"I didn't ask for this but I'm trying to make things right! Why can't you see that?"

"I didn't ask to put up with a neurotic mess like you nor did I ever intend on playing father to a mistake!"

They heard a slight commotion and the blood drained from Botan's face as Kai made his presence known. The boy was silent, but his expression said it all. Blue brows pinched together as pain and anger shone in his eyes.

"He didn't mean it," she said hurriedly.

But the damage was done; Hiei could see it clearly reflected in the boy's candy colored eyes. Kai took a step back, shoulders tense as he shook his head.

"I shouldn't have come," he said wistfully, and before either of them could do or say anything, he had rushed out of the door and presumably out of the apartment complex.

Botan turned to Hiei, tears at the corners of her eyes as she glared at him with more hatred in her eyes than she had ever managed to muster during one of their petty spats.

"You're a coldhearted and cruel man," she accused. "Maybe it's best if you don't get involved at all!"

She ran after Kai, leaving Hiei to stand alone in her empty apartment. The silence ate away at him and all he could hear was the sound of his own harsh words on replay.

He let out a curse as he threw the door open and went in search of the two. It was quiet and pitch black, save for the few streetlights scattered around the area, as Hiei looked around at the deserted streets with a scowl. Botan and Kai were both on foot and they couldn't have gotten far. He wandered aimlessly until he approached the park. Even in the dark, it was easy to spot the two of them with their powder blue hair as a guide. They were sitting on tire swings and he approached them quietly, not yet sure of what exactly he was doing here or what he would say.

"Hey," Botan said, reaching an arm to draw Kai closer to her. "It'll be okay. I'll be here for you. I don't care how many jobs I have to take until I'm considered financially stable enough for a child. I want you to be with me."

"I shouldn't have come," Kai gritted out, glaring at the floor as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I'm glad that you did," Botan told him.

"No…" the boy paused to shake his head. "I ruined everything."

Botan patted his back soothingly.

"That's not true. You certainly haven't ruined my life."

"And you haven't ruined mine either," Hiei announced, the words coming out without much thought as he stepped out from the shadows. "Not yet, at least."

Kai and Botan stared back at him wide-eyed. They were both silent, two pairs of purple eyes narrowing in suspicion and anger and Hiei couldn't help but notice how much they resembled each other in that moment.

"You don't have to lie," Kai replied, unable to meet Hiei's gaze as he spoke. "I heard everything you said before."

Hiei looked away, feeling completely unsure and out of his league. He didn't know what to do. And he hated it.

"Hiei says unkind things all the time," Botan interjected suddenly. "When we first met, he called me all sorts of names and was completely rude."

Hiei frowned at her, not quite sure where she was going with this. Kai stared back at her in confusion and Botan smiled.

"The point is, Hiei gives off horrible first impressions and says things that he doesn't mean," she continued. "Yusuke says that he isn't nearly as bad as he wants everyone to think he is… and you know what, I think he was right."

Kai looked over at Hiei unsurely.

"I just thought if I found my real parents everything would change. I thought it would be better," he confessed. "But I was wrong."

Botan looked over at Hiei expectantly, willing him to say something to salvage the situation.

"I don't know how to be a father," Hiei admitted.

"And I don't know how to be a mother," Botan confessed.

"But just because we are inadequate doesn't mean we can't give you everything you need," Hiei concluded.

Both Botan and the child stared at him confusedly.

"You will stay with Botan," Hiei decided. "I will help financially."

"Really?" Botan's eyes rounded in shock. "You would do that?"

Hiei stared back at her, face impassive as he nodded.

"I don't have room in my life for a child," he proclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if I can ensure that he stays with you, then at least my conscience will be clear."

"I didn't know you had a conscience," Botan muttered as Kai snorted behind his hand.

He didn't know he had a conscience either, not until the moment that he saw the boy's heart break from his calloused words. He wasn't cut out to be a father, but this much, he could do. Things wouldn't really have to change, so long as Botan understood that.

"Oh no!" Botan suddenly cried.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked from her side.

"It's almost midnight and you snuck out of the foster home!"

"They probably won't even notice that I'm gone," Kai dismissed with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I still have to bring you back there. What if they did notice you were gone and thought that you were in trouble. What if they alerted the police?"

Hiei scowled.

"You snuck out?" he asked, eyes on Kai.

"I just wanted to see Botan…" Kai explained, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"You should have thought things through before you acted so reckless and irresponsibly," Hiei chastised.

"He's only a child, Hiei!"

"That still doesn't dismiss the fact that we will be blamed for his absence. It's illegal to keep a minor without his guardians' prior knowledge or consent."

"But we're his parents," Botan defended.

"We aren't his legal guardians," Hiei emphasized and Botan gasped as she finally understood.

"I didn't mean to…" Kai said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Botan stood up from the swing.

"We'll have to catch the first bus back and explain the situation."

Kai hopped off of his swing and nodded.

"I'll just tell them that I snuck out, so you don't get in trouble," Kai said. "They're used to it because I do it all the time anyway. You don't have to come with me."

"Nonsense, what kind of mother would I be if I let you travel back by yourself and take all the blame? I should have seen you back the moment you showed up at my doorstep!" Botan responded.

"You should have," Hiei agreed.

"And Hiei shouldn't have dragged us all around the place and wasted more time," Botan said.

"He shouldn't have," Kai agreed.

"So, since we are all partly to blame, we should go back together and calmly explain the situation," Botan suggested.

Hiei's glare deepened when he realized that he would be roped in to doing something unpleasant. He couldn't allow his newly discovered child and the insufferable mother of that child to travel back to the foster home alone at this time of night. He would have to take them there, but he didn't have to be happy about it.

* * *

Botan was starting to get used to being lugged around in Hiei's car. It was the third time this night, after all. She felt somewhat guilty that he had been dragged into this fiasco, but she refrained from voicing her concerns in fear of making the situation worse. Her attentions were drawn to Hiei when he switched the radio on and raised the volume up in the same manner that she had done previously. It only took a few bars of music until Kai was immersed into the annoying pop song, humming along and tapping his fingers against his lap.

"This is exactly the type of thing that I didn't want to get involved with," Hiei told Botan.

"I understand that, but it can't be helped. Kai can't be blamed for wanting to see me and you can't be blamed for seeking answers."

"But you can be blamed for not returning him to the home immediately upon seeing him," he accused.

Botan winced guiltily.

"I was going to… but then he put on the cutest little face and asked to stay. And the others wanted him to get to know him too."

"That's not the way parenting works."

"I know," Botan agreed. "I'll have to be sterner from now on."

"Hn."

Thankfully, Hiei let the topic go and they all sat in relative silence, save the radio for the remainder of the trip until Kai spoke up to give directions.

"Turn left here," Kai instructed. "It's the big house on the right."

Hiei pulled up to the curbside and turned the engine off. Botan walked side by side with Kai to the front porch, with Hiei trailing behind them.

She pressed a tentative finger to the doorbell ringer and waited until a woman opened the door.

"Kai?" she said confusedly, her features morphing into one of anger as she stared down at the boy.

"Hi Rei…" he answered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Was he with you this entire time?" Rei asked, shooting Botan with an accusing look.

"Yes," Botan affirmed with a nod. "But I-"

"What's going on?" the woman's husband asked as he joined them.

"I told you there was something weird about her, Taru," Rei muttered flippantly, her gaze hard and unforgiving as she stared at Botan. "Apparently, Kai's mother thought it was a good idea to take him without our knowledge for the entire day."

"I didn't-" Botan tried to explain.

"I thought the adoption services made it clear that until your financial situation was more stable, you were not allowed to adopt Kai. Disregarding the rules and taking him without our permission is nothing short of irresponsible and rebellious."

"I wasn't trying to take him forcefully!" Botan defended.

"I snuck out and found her," Kai declared. "It's all my fault."

"And how many times have we discussed this? You know that you aren't allowed to go anywhere without our permission," Taru chastised, sounding as though this was a regular occurrence.

"I know," Kai grumbled.

"And you are partly to blame miss," Taru said. "There are laws for a reason. If the authorities hear that you allowed him to stay with you without our permission-"

"I wouldn't bring the authorities into this if I were you," Hiei warned, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived.

"No offense sir, but this really does not concern you," Taru dismissed.

"It certainly does concern him. He is Kai's biological father and he's very displeased with the way that things have been going here," Botan interjected, crossing her arms over her chest with a glare. No wonder why Kai couldn't stand it here. This couple was the absolute worst!

"In that case, you also had a duty to bring Kai back here. What were you thinking – keeping him out until this late?" Taru continued in that self-righteous manner of his.

Hiei's crimson eyes narrowed in the way it did when he was annoyed.

"There are two very glaring points that you have failed to realize: first, the boy felt the need to leave because his needs weren't being met here and secondly, he was only able to exit without being detected because the two of you clearly incapable of carrying out even the most fundamental aspect of your job."

The couple was flabbergasted, each falling into silence at the remark.

"From what I've heard, Kai is able to sneak out frequently under your halfhearted watch. You should be thankful that he was able to meet us safely without any harm befalling him, otherwise you two would be the ones that the authorities were after. We are willing to overlook this situation, provided that you will be more vigilant in the future."

"Our apologies." Rei gave a quick bow. "It won't happen again."

"It had better not," Botan cautioned.

"I assure you, we will be more careful and attentive with him," her husband added. "Come on inside, Kai."

Botan turned to Kai, giving an encouraging smile.

"I'm going to adopt you," she pledged. "So, just hold tight until then."

"Promise?" he asked, raising his pinky finger hopefully.

"Promise," she said, sealing it with a pinky-swear.

Kai nodded and then trudged inside of the house. He turned back to wave at them one last time, before Rei closed the door. Botan stared at the door for a while, knowing that this separation would not be permanent. She forced a smile on her face and nodded definitively.

"Look at us, overcoming our first obstacle together. We make a great team!" she exclaimed in triumph.

Botan blinked when she realized that Hiei was already halfway to the car, not paying her any attention. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, realizing that any hopes of having a civil conversation with Hiei were a lost cause. She made a face at the back of his head and then followed suit.

* * *

The very next morning, Botan received a text message from an unknown number.

 _Meet me at the Moon Café at 10:00. Don't be late._

Judging by the curt manner of the message, it had to be Hiei. She threw on an oversized hoodie and some tights and walked over to the café, where Hiei was already waiting at a table in the corner. He did not even give her time to sit as he began to speak.

"We will have joint-custody over the boy for the sake of speeding up the adoption process," he decided. "I'll give you four-hundred every two weeks."

"Eight-hundred a month? That's much too much!"

"I don't think you realize just how expensive a child is."

"Well, of course I do, but that's a lot of money, Hiei!"

"I can afford it," he explained easily.

There was no condescension or boasting in his words, and Botan realized she really couldn't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth given her current situation.

"I suppose money isn't an issue when you're a high level executive," she mumbled with a nod. "Alright, I'll use the money for his expenses that I can't easily cover and the rest will go in an account solely for Kai."

"Do you have insurance?" Hiei asked.

"…Not exactly," Botan answered embarrassedly.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Of course not."

"Well, excuse me for not having my life all together like yours is!" she huffed.

"I can add him to my plan."

"Thank you. Once I get a more permanent job with good benefits, I'll roll him over to mine."

Hiei did not respond in any manner, instead choosing to take a sip of his coffee.

"What about visitation? When would you like to see him?" Botan asked, looking over at Hiei expectantly.

"I already told you that I don't want to be involved in his life."

"But… he's your son… and you said we would have joint-custody," she recounted.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm only interested in his physical welfare. You take care of his emotional and mental health."

"You can't be serious," she breathed out in disbelief.

"You are the one who wanted to keep him, not me," he reminded her.

"That's very callous of you."

"I already told you: I never wanted a child."

"I understand that, but you have one now."

Hiei paused, his gaze flickering between uncertainty and anger before the emotions were extinguished.

"I will do what needs to be done to ensure that he is properly taken care of, but no more than that," he replied authoritatively. "Are we clear?"

"…Crystal," Botan conceded, realizing that there was no changing his mind at this point in time. "But if you ever want to see him, there's no need to be a stranger. He's a really great kid."

"Hn."

Botan watched as Hiei stood up from his chair and walked away stiffly. She could tell that he was wrestling with the idea of having a child and she could only hope that with time the ice around his heart would melt. For now, though, she would love Kai twice as much so that he did not feel Hiei's absence.

* * *

Despite his insistence that he did not need company, Yukina had come with him to the café and waited for him at the back entrance.

"You're doing the right thing, Hiei. I'm proud of you."

"Don't be," Hiei answered. "I've done nothing worth commending."

"You just agreed to take on the brunt of expenses for a child that you only recently discovered that you had. There are fathers that have been around from the start that won't even do as much," Yukina reasoned.

"The woman is in between jobs," Hiei justified. "She clearly isn't making enough money to support a child. But I am."

"It's still very admirable," Yukina claimed.

Hiei was silent as the crossed the street and reached his car.

"It will get better, you know," Yukina assured him. "When time passes and the unfamiliarity settles, you'll understand that you've been given a great gift."

"Yukina," he said tiredly. "I'm not in the mood for this."

"I understand. Please try not to stress out over this and let things happen in their natural course."

When Hiei did not respond, she smiled softly.

"Have a good day brother."

He nodded, watching her leave. His sister could never understand his inner turmoil and he was glad that she did not have to. She was selfless and kind where he was selfish, cold and uncaring. He had no interest in children and never thought he would reach this point in his life. It was all too soon and too sudden and he still couldn't believe that he had followed through with Botan's plan of adopting the child so easily. It all seemed like a blur now, but his insensitive words and the subsequent hurt that it brought the child continued to play in his mind in high definition. Ensuring that Kai could stay with Botan was a small matter and it would ease the guilt he admittedly harbored over his own actions. Besides, the boy was going to end up living with Botan eventually, so his assistance was nothing but a catalyst to speed up the process.

Aside from his financial assistance, not much would have to change because of this new development. In a few months' time his duty would be fulfilled and he would be free to leave this place in lieu of reaching higher successes and positions.

Nothing and no one would hold him back.

He simply couldn't afford to abandon his ambitions now.

* * *

There you have it! Hiei was a total jerk, but did you expect anything less?

Next chapter will shed some light as to why Hiei is so reluctant about children, as well as feature a bit more of the good old gang.

Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. Hope it was to your liking. Thanks for the feedback so far. You guys totally motivated me into updating ahead of schedule with your kind words. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

First off, there were some issues with the website shortly after I uploaded chapter 3. Make sure you've read it before you move onto this one.

And secondly: special shout-out and a huge "thank you" to LonelyDreamer7 for creating the beautiful cover art for this story!

* * *

Ever since Hiei had agreed to joint custody over Kai the adoption process seemed to be moving forward quickly. There was still so much to be done, but Botan didn't mind at all. Her friends had all been a huge help as well, offering support, advice and information when needed. Today, she was scheduled to meet with the principal of the elementary school that Kai was transferring to, and thankfully, Kuwabara had offered to join her.

"Thanks for coming along with me, Kuwabara," Botan said as they stood in front of the four-story building. An assortment of flowers and trees were planted in front of the establishment, creating a warm and welcoming environment. It was a large establishment and she wondered how Kai might feel standing in this very spot on his first day. He was a brave kid, though, and she knew that he would be fine in the end. Botan returned her attentions to Kuwabara with a grateful smile. "You've been such a great help. I don't think I would have been able to get everything in order if it weren't for you."

And it was true. He had helped her consolidate and gather all of the necessary medical documents, legal certificates and educational transcripts in order to get Kai successfully transferred from his old school, to the new one in her district. She would have been seriously lost and confused had it not been for her friend.

"I figured I'd be able to help you out, since I am a teacher, and all," he replied, a sheepish blush coloring the bridge of his nose, tips of his ears and tops of his cheeks.

"I'll have to make it up to you sometime," she noted.

"Nah, that's okay. It was my duty as a man and as your friend, after all," he dismissed.

Botan giggled at his chivalry.

"Well, alright, if you insist," she relented. "But if you ever need anything, I had better be the first one you come to."

"Deal."

They entered the school and, after spending some time in the waiting area, the receptionist directed them to the principal's office. Mr. Takeda sat at his desk with a gracious smile crinkling the corners of his eyes as he greeted them with a good morning.

"Please have a seat," he offered, as Botan and Kuwabara took their places in front of his desk. "I spoke briefly with Ms. Himura over the phone, but I did not get the chance to meet your acquaintance mister…?"

"Kazuma Kuwabara," the orange-haired man responded. "Nice to meet you."

"Would either of you like any coffee or water?" Principal Takeda asked.

"That's quite alright, but thank you for the offer," Botan answered.

"Let's get down to business, then. We took a look at Kai's transcripts," the principal said, folding his hands on the desk as he stared back at them. "He is a very gifted child and we would be honored to have him enrolled here."

"Thank you," Botan replied.

"When were you thinking of transferring?" the older man questioned.

"Early April," Botan answered. They were approaching the end of March and Kagura had stated that she would have custody of Kai within the next two weeks. "We have a few things that we need to settle first."

"I understand."

"We would like to learn more about the school. Are there after school programs?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yes, we have many opportunities for the kids to take part in and enjoy. Sports clubs, arts and crafts, drama clubs, music clubs, extra lessons and the like… We believe in fostering every aspect of the child's growth: mind, body and spirit."

"That sounds wonderful," Botan commented.

"What about services like transportation and meal plans?" Kuwabara continued.

"Transportation is paid for by the taxpayers' dollars. It is a free service for those who live within the area. The parents pay for the meal plans, which consists of breakfast, snacks and lunch."

Kuwabar nodded.

"I took a look at the menu and was surprised. The food is much more nutritional than you would expect for an elementary school," hen noted.

"Yes, I noticed that as well," Botan added.

Takeda smiled proudly.

"We make it a priority to provide only the healthiest of options," he answered. "I'm pleased that both you have taken the time to research this school before coming here. It's always good to see parents taking an active role in their child's education."

"Oh no," Botan started as Kuwabara shook his head at her side. "He isn't Kai's father, and we aren't together. We're simply very good friends."

"My apologies," the principal said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I shouldn't have assumed."

That's quite alright," Botan replied, exchanging a sheepish glance with Kuwabara.

There was a knock on the door and the awkwardness was quickly dispelled.

"Please come in," the principal invited, as an older woman stepped inside of the office. Short white hair framed rounded cheeks and a disarmingly kind smile.

"Hello, I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.

"You're just on time. This is Kai's mother, Botan Himura, and her friend Kazuman Kuwabara," the principal introduced. "And this will be Kai's teacher, Mrs. Yoshida."

"Please, call me Mai," the woman said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Mai," Botan said as she shook the woman's hand.

"I will do my best to ensure that your son has an easy transition into this school. The entire class was excited to hear that they would be having a new classmate."

"That's great. I feel a lot more confident after having met you both and learning more about the school," Botan admitted.

"I'm glad to hear that," Mai responded.

After a bit more small talk and inquiries, she and Kuwabara were given a tour of the school and its grounds. It was certainly more impressive than the elementary school that she attended years ago and she hoped that Kai would like it here. It really did seem like an excellent establishment.

"It's nice, right?" Kuwabara asked, as the exited the school grounds and began walking towards the bus stop.

"Yes, everything seems so wonderful. It's almost too good to be true."

"I asked some of the students and faculty from my high school about the elementary school. They all have the same general consensus of the place. It checks out."

"That is a huge relief," Botan said.

"Yeah, I'm sure Kai will love it."

"Thanks again for helping out, Kuwabara. It's very sweet of you to taken an interest in Kai's wellbeing."

"Of course," he answered. "You're my friend and he's your son. He's important to me too."

"And this has nothing to do with him also being Yukina's nephew?" Botan teased.

Kuwabara laughed nervously.

"N-no, of course not."

"Well, I'll still put in a good word with Yukina regardless," Botan resolved.

"You really don't have to do that, Botan," Kuwabara mumbled.

"Too late, I've already made up my mind," she returned stubbornly.

"Fine," he relented, before shooting her with a warning look. "Just try not to make me seem too desperate."

"…I'm certain that you've already crossed that line a few times over, but don't worry. I think it's endearing and I'm sure Yukina feels the same."

Kuwabara perked up at that, his narrow eyes widening a bit in surprise as a goofy grin spread across his face.

"You really think so?"

"I do," she reassured with a grin.

* * *

A week later, Botan had begun to get the spare room ready for Kai. Since his favorite color was blue, she decided to paint over the cream walls and make the place more inviting for him. She had already cleared out the area, cleaned the walls of any dust or dirt and bordered the trims, windows and doorframe with tape. All that was left was to start painting and Yusuke offered to help her out with her task. He was currently working on opening up the can of primer and setting up the paint, rollers and brushes. His hair wasn't in his usual gelled up glory, instead it fell naturally around his face, giving him a more youthful look. He rolled his sleeves up and then got straight to work. After a few moments of working in silence, he cleared his throat pointedly.

"So, I probably didn't have the best reaction to your news," he started, as he smoothed the paint roller over the walls.

"You don't say?" Botan accused lightly, as she dipped the paintbrush and ran it over the hard to reach areas.

Yusuke chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. I can't say I blame you, it was kind of a bombshell," she acknowledged.

"You can say that again," he replied.

"And it's all happening so fast, that I don't even have time to worry about whether or not I'm ready to be doing this," she confessed.

Yusuke paused in his ministrations to stare at her more seriously.

"You're a ditzy scatterbrain half the time, but you've got a good heart. You'll be a great mom," he encouraged matter-of-factly.

"Yusuke…" she said, touched by his words.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, before bending down to roll more paint onto his roller.

"Alright, that's enough of this sentimental crap," he decided, as he turned his back to her and continued with the paint job. "So when do we officially welcome the kid?"

"Soon," she said. "The process is coming along smoothly because both of his biological parents are taking on joint custody. Plus, the doctor who fessed up to his wrongs is also doing everything in his power to ensure that all goes well."

"Still should have sued his ass," Yusuke quipped.

Botan rolled her eyes knowingly.

"Anyway, if all goes well, Kai should be here by the end of the week," she announced.

"It's still hard to imagine you and Hiei as parents," Yusuke admitted, shaking his head lightly.

"I still can't believe that Hiei is his father," she voiced.

"That too," he agreed. "Took a while for that to sink in."

"I never would have guessed that Hiei had the same idea that I had back in college. He always seems so put together and in control of his life," she stated. "I never expected him to be one of the many who donated samples to the clinic for money."

"There's a lot about Hiei that both of us don't really know," Yusuke replied. "He's a pretty private guy."

"That's for sure."

"But he was always doing all kinds of things to support himself back when we were younger; medical tests, odd jobs, on top of his part time job and school. I'm not surprised that you both ended up with the same idea, but it was pretty crazy that both of your samples were accidentally used to make the same kid."

Botan never wondered why Hiei had donated his samples to the clinic before, but it sounded like he must have had a hard time in the past as well. Still, she could not excuse the horrible way he reacted to the news and she could not forget the way that it hurt Kai. At least he had attempted to make it up to them, though. She couldn't deny that it would have been much harder to adopt Kai without him.

"While I'm not too thrilled about Hiei being Kai's father, I wouldn't change a thing about Kai – his genes included."

"Yeah, he's an interesting kid," Yusuke concluded.

"I think I'll have my hands full for a long time."

"And your love life is gonna take a serious plunge, not that there was much going on there in the first place," Yusuke said snidely.

"Hey!" Botan protested, pointing her paint brush in Yusuke's direction. "I resent that."

"It's true… unless you've got a secret boyfriend you've been hiding from us too."

Botan's shoulders slumped.

"Maybe my love life is pretty pathetic right now, but the right guy will accept Kai," she said. "I hope. Otherwise I'll end up an old spinster."

Yusuke laughed.

"That's what marriage pacts are for."

"What?"

"You know, the whole, ' _if we're both still single and miserable by the time we've hit forty, then we marry each other'_ thing."

"That's sort of sweet, but the last thing any girl wants is a pity proposal."

"It's not a pity proposal, it's a marriage pact," he reiterated. "And it's totally legit."

"I doubt that."

"If you don't like the idea of a marriage pact, you could always just get with Hiei," he suggested.

"Hiei?" she exclaimed. "Me and Hiei? We can barely stand each other."

"He's the father of your child, so you're halfway there."

"Please never ever suggest that again," Botan groaned, the thought of it enough to give her a headache.

"Alright, but you'll be wishing you listened to me when Kai's gone off to live his own life and you're an old and lonely lady with only your cats to comfort you."

Botan laughed.

"Yusuke, you're absolutely horrible."

"I know, aren't I the best?"

"Life wouldn't be interesting without you, that's for sure," she decided, meeting his expression with a grin of her own.

Yusuke smirked and then went back to his task of painting the walls blue. Botan glanced at him from the corner of her eye as his suggestion continued to roll around in her mind. It wasn't that Hiei was completely appalling or anything, in fact, he was quite handsome when you didn't take into account his lack of manners, general irritability and haughty nature. But there was absolutely no chance for them. For starters, he couldn't stand her. And she wasn't into his whole dark and moody persona.

But they would have to get along eventually for Kai's sake. Even if Hiei did not plan on being involved, it would not be ideal for Kai to live in an environment where his parents were both hostile to each other.

* * *

The following night, the girls decided to have their first ever girl's night in as a trio. Since Botan's apartment was midway between Yukina's and Shizuru's, they decided to host it here. Shizuru was running a bit late, but that was understandable. She had been involved in a very demanding case that was taking up most of her time lately.

As they waited for the elder Kuwabara sibling to show up, Yukina had offered to go through Kai's records to see how his health and vaccinations were coming along. Botan took her up on that offer, and had quickly located the file containing his information that Kagura had kindly provided.

"His medical records look good," Yukina stated, flipping through the pages that Botan could not begin to decipher. "He's doesn't have any allergies, he's up to date on his vaccinations and there are no deficiencies or conditions that you should be aware of."

"That's good to know," Botan responded. "I researched a few pediatricians in the area. I was hoping that you might have an insight as to which one I should choose."

Yukina looked down at the list and smiled.

"Dr. Mitamura is very knowledgeable and kind," Yukina stated. "I would recommend him above the others."

"Perfect, and he's close by, too!"

Botan's phone went off and she excused herself to answer the call. She frowned in confusion when she saw Hiei's name on the screen – he certainly wasn't one to call out of the blue.

"Hiei?"

"Oh, it's just you, Botan," Yusuke voiced from the other line.

"Uh, yes, it's only me."

"Hiei had this unknown contact in his phone and Kuwabara and I thought it was his secret girlfriend or something."

Botan's amethyst eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Don't you know my number by now?"

"Do you know my number by heart?" he countered.

"Point taken," she answered, anger deflating. "Well, it's only little old me, and I'm definitely not Hiei's secret girlfriend."

"Yeah, you're just the mother of his child. Hah, I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing or saying that."

She heard a commotion in the background and pressed the phone closer to her ears in order to discern what was going on.

"Hello? Yusuke? Is everything okay?" she pressed.

"It's me," Hiei said. "Don't call my number again unless it concerns the child."

The line was promptly cut off and Botan wretched the phone away from her ear to stare at his disbelievingly. The nerve of him! It wasn't like she had called him in the first place; and, thinking back, Hiei was the one who always contacted her first through text, so he should be the last person telling her what to do. She stomped back into the living area and plopped down on the couch.

"Is everything okay?" Yukina inquired.

"Other than the fact that Hiei's such a jerk, everything is just peachy!" Botan exclaimed, before remembering exactly who she was venting to. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Hiei's a great guy, it's just that… sometimes we don't see eye to eye, is all…"

"That's quite alright, I know that Hiei can be very abrasive," Yukina said. "And I don't mean to make any excuses for him, but he has his reasons."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you in a position where you had to defend him," Botan apologized. "I know firsthand how surprising he can be. He did agree to help out with Kai, after all."

Yukina nodded.

"It still throws me for a loop that you two are twins, though. You're both so different," Botan observed.

"The circumstances of our situation were very different. While I was fortunate enough to be raised by my mother, he was stuck with our father in a messy legal battle. I don't think our father even really wanted him; he just wanted to make things difficult for our mother."

Botan frowned.

"That's horrible…"

"It was. I can't imagine the extent of what Hiei faced living with that man, but it couldn't have been easy. Our father was involved with drugs and other crimes, and Hiei never told me about it, but I know that he was mentally and physically abused by the man."

Botan gasped at the sudden revelation, hand drawn to her mouth in shock.

"He was thrown in jail when Hiei was fifteen," Yukina continued. "Then, Hiei was legally free to live with us."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"Not many people do," Yukina replied.

"But you told me…"

"You're a part of his life now. I just hoped that you might understand him a bit more," Yukina reasoned. "Hiei is very important to me and I don't want him to miss out on the opportunity he's been granted."

Botan lowered her gaze as she thought of the guarded and closed-off man. He expressed his desire to remain childless, and maybe this was why. He didn't have the best example growing up and he was not confident in his own ability to raise a child without damaging them in the same way he had been hurt. But Hiei was not his father; he could be different. Call it optimism or naivety, but Botan truly believed that Hiei could be a good influence on Kai's life. Yusuke, Kurama and Yukina all saw something good within him and she thought that perhaps she owed it to Kai to do the same as well.

"I was only speaking out of anger before. I know that Hiei can't be nearly as mean as he wants us all to believe," Botan admitted.

"Yes, and although he claims that he doesn't want anything to do with Kai, I think that he is only doing what he believes is best for everyone," Yukina said. "He will change his mind with time."

"For Kai's sake, I hope you're right."

The two shared a silent moment of understanding, before it was broken by the interruption of Shizuru's arrival.

"Sorry I'm late," Shizuru said as she shuffled into the apartment. "But I've got the wine."

"I was wondering where you were," Botan grinned, twisting on the couch to view her friend. "Yukina and I already sorted through the boring stuff. What do you say we kick this girls' off night with some good old fashioned movies and popcorn?"

"Sounds good to me," Shizuru smiled, hanging her jacket up and venturing in the kitchen to procure the wine glasses.

"So do we go the comedy route or the romantic one?" Botan asked.

"Ugh, Botan, you're always picking cheesy romance movies," Shizuru complained, returning and setting the glasses on the table.

"There's nothing wrong with a little romance," Botan defended. "Although I suppose you're getting plenty of that from a certain red-haired, green eyed botanist."

"What are you talking about?" Shizuru asked, not bothering to look at Botan as she uncorked the bottle of wine and began pouring it into the three glasses.

"Oh come now, there's obviously something going on there," Botan teased, accepting a glass from Shizuru. "I see the way that you and Kurama look at each other."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shizuru answered calmly, take a sip of her wine as she settled on the couch comfortably.

"You see it too, don't you Yukina?" Botan asked.

Yukina's ruby eyes dithered between the two of them hesitantly. Botan certainly didn't mean to put the poor girl on the spot, but she needed an ally against Shizuru's deceitful nonchalance. Botan was not being delusional or crazy; there was most definitely something there between Kurama and Shizuru.

"They do seem close," was all that Yukina managed to say.

"We are close," Shizuru agreed, causing Botan's eyes to widen in excitement. "And no, not in the ways that you're thinking, Bo, so you can wipe that look off of your face. He and I are the only two, other than Yukina, who are at the same maturity level and sensibility. That's all."

Botan let out a longsuffering sigh.

"Denial is a powerful thing," she said to herself. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the bar to be with your beloved instead?"

"Botan…" Shizuru warned. She used the same threatening tone she did with Kuwabara and Botan's survival instincts kicked in, causing her to halt her teasing.

"Alright, alright," Botan replied, raising her hands in defense. "This curious kitten is finished trying to help you out with your love problems."

Shizuru snorted, before taking another sip of her wine.

"What do you think the guys are doing?" Yukina wondered.

"That's predictable enough," Shizuru said. "They're definitely at the bar. Yusuke's hitting on girls, Kurama's keeping to himself, Kuwabara's wishing he was here with you, and Hiei is probably at home, since you aren't there."

"Sounds accurate," Botan said with a nod. "Except Hiei is there too."

"How do you know?" Shizuru asked.

"Yusuke called me on Hiei's phone earlier," Botan filled in.

"Strange, he usually only shows up when Yukina is there," Shizuru noted.

"Or when he's stressed," Yukina recalled.

"You don't suppose the whole issue of Kai could have a hand in it?" Botan asked, frowning as she remembered what Yukina had told her earlier.

"He'll be okay. My brother is strong," Yukina said.

"You're right," Botan decided.

Botan had no doubt that Shizuru had sensed that there was something that she was missing, but she tactfully dismissed it.

"So, are we starting this movie or not?" the brunette announced, returning their attentions to the matter at hand. "I say we try horror."

"That sounds interesting," Yukina agreed, looking strangely excited over the proposition.

"Why choose horror when we have such nice, lighthearted movies to watch instead?" Botan urged with a nervous laughter.

"We could always do a democratic vote," Shizuru suggested. "All in favor for the horror?"

Botan pouted as Shizuru and Yukina both raised their hands.

"Fine, but if I have bags under my eyes during my interview tomorrow because I couldn't sleep, I'm blaming you two."

"Fair enough," Shizuru replied.

* * *

Wednesday was always a trying day of the week for Hiei, full of meetings, reports and phone calls. Today was no different, except for the fact that he was suffering from a slight hangover. He had, admittedly, downed one too many drinks at the bar last night in his attempts to quell the unease that was floating around in his mind. Over the past few days, Botan had kept him updated through texts and it seemed as though the boy would be officially adopted by the end of the week. He had heard from Yusuke that the child's room was painted and furnished and Kuwabara had said that his transfer to his new school was underway. It was all coming together at a pace that was too fast for Hiei to properly process, and so, he drowned his thoughts out with the buzz provide by a few drinks. The alcohol was a temporary fix, but it did not fully remedy the agitation and uncertainty that plagued him.

He considered ordering delivery for lunch, but decided against it in the end. It was an overcast day and the fresh air would do him well. When work died down momentarily, he stepped away from his desk in search of lunch. Hiei ended at Yusuke's cart and the usual routine of him throwing his money onto the counter and receiving a mouthful from Yusuke commenced. He took a seat at one of the empty benches littered around the park and took in the fresh air. It was a completely routine day, until a certain blue-haired, purple-eyed woman took a seat next to him.

"Fancy meeting you here, Hiei," Botan greeted.

"What do you want?" he asked darkly. Her cheery brightness was the last thing that he needed today.

"I was in the area and decided to get lunch from the best spot in the city," she explained, signaling to the packaged meal seated in her lap.

Hiei looked over at her and noticed that her casual attire was replaced by a charcoal pencil skirt and white blouse. Her flowing ponytail was wrapped into a simple bun, and she had even applied makeup and worn some simple jewelry. It was a far cry from her usual look.

"I was on an interview with one of the newspapers today," she offered without his prompting. "I'm a writer; I do all sorts of pieces, so I was hoping to find a job that would provide some stability."

"I didn't ask."

"I know that. I was simply trying to keep the conversation flowing."

"Why?"

"Well, we have a child together, don't you think it's important that we get along?"

"I've already made it painfully clear that I don't want to be involved with Kai and the same applies to you."

Her cheeks flushed in anger and he was sure that she was going to snap at him, but instead she clenched her fists at her sides and took a deep breath. A forced and tight smile stretched its way over her lips.

"Still, I hope that we can get along," Botan said.

"You're a strange woman," he concluded, eyeing her warily.

"That isn't the first time I've heard that and it certainly won't be the last!"

"Everything about you is strange, from your personality to the foreign accent."

"Well, I can't really explain my personality, but I was raised in England for a while. So that at least explains the accent," she filled in.

"Again: I didn't ask," he deadpanned.

"Fine," Botan sighed. "Let's just eat, shall we?"

Hiei contemplated leaving altogether, but then decided against it. He should not have to break his routine because of the presence of one troublesome woman. Besides, if she was eating then she would not have the opportunity to speak and annoy him. Hiei savored the next few minutes of sweet silence, almost regretting when his meal was finished and Botan's attention was back on him.

"I'll toss that for you," she offered as she took the empty container and chopsticks.

While she was busy walking over to the trash, he decided to return to work. He was not surprised when she began walking in the same direction as him on the pathway that led out of the park.

"Well, this was nice," she decided.

"Speak for yourself, woman. I don't see how stalking me can bring you any pleasure."

"I'm not stalking you! We're just going in the same direction, is all."

Hiei stopped abruptly, causing Botan to bump into him.

"Whoa, how about a little warning next time?" she said, rubbing her forehead.

"Explain yourself," he ordered sternly, eyes resting on her as he awaited an explanation.

"Huh?"

"What is this?" he probed, gaze narrowed in annoyance.

Botan blinked in confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Why are you being so genial with me?"

"Because I'm a friendly and genial person," she answered simply.

"Your patience doesn't usually last this long," he recalled. "There is a reason for your strange behavior and I want you to tell me exactly what it is."

He took a step closer to her and she backpedalled.

"I…" she faltered, purple eyes lowering to the floor as she bit her bottom lip. "Um, is that Yusuke calling?"

"Woman," he warned.

"Look, it's really nothing for you to be concerned about," she tried.

"You're lying," he accused. "Now tell me what I want to know."

"You'll be angry if I do."

"I'm angry right now. It won't make much of a difference."

Botan's resolve broke as she brought her gaze back up to meet his.

"I found out about your father," she confessed.

"Yukina," he sighed in understanding.

"Please don't blame her. She only told me because she thought it was important," Botan defended.

"I don't blame her," he said. "I blame you."

"Me?"

"You meddle where you aren't involved. Much like right now."

"Excuse me for caring, Hiei," she huffed angrily.

"I don't need your pity."

"This isn't pity," she said. "This is me attempting to bridge the gap."

"Why?"

"I already told you why. For Kai."

"And I already told you why that it isn't necessary."

"Then I'm doing it for you," she argued. "Because like it or not, our lives are intertwined now, and I care about your wellbeing."

Hiei paused, not at all expecting her to say something like that.

"You're not just Kai's father," she admitted. "You're Yukina's brother. You're Yusuke's friend. You're the reason why I'm even able to adopt Kai. So I'd like us to be friends for _us_. Because life would be a lot easier if we could just get along."

Hiei swallowed thickly. She was saying strange things that only served to confuse him.

"You don't have to like me right now, or tomorrow, or in a week's time," she confessed. "But one day, you will."

She gave him one last look, before going her way. He stared at her until she was out of sight, before shaking his head. She was such a strange woman. He could not understand her at all.

* * *

Yukina sat in the café located on the hospital's first floor, ruby eyes on the lookout for a familiar face. Kazuma had often visited her during her lunch breaks and she enjoyed the quiet moments they could spend together. Although he had to take a quick bus ride to reach the hospital and he could only spend a few short minutes with her, he never seemed discouraged and was always eager to meet her on the days when work wasn't too busy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her cellphone. She fished her cell from her purse, ruby eyes widening upon reading the contact ID displayed on the screen.

"Hiei?"

"You told her."

Yukina's expression fell, immediately understanding what Hiei was referring her. Her grip tightened on the phone as she nodded her head.

"I did," she confessed. "I didn't plan on saying anything, but it came up in the conversation last night."

"You shouldn't have said anything," he berated lightly. "You're not the type to meddle."

"I know," she confessed. "I don't usually get involved, but I felt as though I owed it to you, and to Botan and to Kai to say something. Family is very important to me and I hoped that it might help the situation."

There was silence on the other line. She knew that Hiei was upset, but she simply could not afford to take back her words now.

"Botan doesn't think any less of you because of it," Yukina said, hoping that it was some small consolation. "In fact, I think she understood you a bit better."

"Hn, I don't care about what the woman thinks," he replied. "I just prefer to keep her out of my business."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I hope you aren't too angry with either of us, Botan especially. It isn't her fault that I told her."

"I'm not mad at you, Yukina," he said tiredly.

There was a strained note to his tone, one that indicated that he was more stressed than he was letting on and Yukina felt her heart breaking for her brother. Things were never easy for him and it pained her to know that he was going through a hard time.

"Everything will be okay, Hiei," she reassured. "I promise."

It was silent, until she heard the sound of a second voice in the distant background.

"I have to go," Hiei said.

"Okay."

The connection ended and Yukina locked her phone with a sigh. She returned the cell to her purse, eyes downcast the entire time.

"Yukina!"

She looked up at the familiar call, spotting Kazuma as he entered the café. Her worries were temporarily forgotten as she took in the sight of his bright grin.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, taking a seat across from her.

"Please don't apologize. I feel bad enough that you have to travel here in the first place," she confessed.

"It's no trouble," he replied. "I'm just glad that I get to see you."

She smiled.

"Botan told me that you went with her to see the new school."

Kuwabara nodded.

"It's a great place. I'm sure Kai will love it."

"I'm glad to hear that," Yukina replied. "Botan's already set up the room for him and taken care of other matters as well. It seems like everything is coming together very quickly. I just hope everyone adjusts to the change well enough."

"They'll be okay," Kuwabara reassured. "It might be tough at first, but Botan's a quick learner and she's a caring person. She will be a good mother."

"Hiei is the one that I'm worried about," Yukina noted, a frown marring her smooth skin.

"…You mean because of his past?" Kuwabara asked, careful not to delve too deeply into the subject.

Yukina nodded.

"Yes. I don't doubt my brother's character, but he seems to doubt himself. He's usually so confident and assured, but with this particular situation, he doesn't know what to do. I can tell that he's conflicted and when that happens, he tends to close himself off."

"I see…" Kuwabara said, rubbing a hand at his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't want him to miss out on knowing his son because of his own issues."

"Maybe things will change with time. Once he gets to know Kai, I'm sure it will be pretty hard for him to stay away."

"I hope so."

"But if Hiei is too pigheaded to realize what a good thing he's got, then at least you will always be there for Kai. You are his aunt, after all."

"That's true," Yukina said. "And you'll be there, too, won't you, Kazuma?"

"Of course," he replied without hesitation. "He's Botan's son and your nephew. He's practically family in my eyes."

Yukina held his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Thank you, Kazuma."

Kuwabara had to stop himself from bursting out into a tirade about how his love for her transcended all of time and space, instead nodding and squeezing her hand in support.

"Anything for you, my love."

At that moment both of their phones buzzed at the same time.

"Must be the group chat," Kuwabara said as he pulled his cell out from his pocket and swiped through the messages. He raised a brow as he read over the most recent message. "Urameshi wants us to meet up tonight."

"I wonder why?"

"With that guy, it could be anything, really," Kuwabara dismissed. "Are you free tonight?"

She nodded.

"Yes, my shift ends at seven today."

"Great, I'll meet you here and we can travel back to see the others."

She nodded her assent.

"I'd like that."

Kuwabara grinned.

"Well, I gotta go," Kuwabara said. "The kids won't teach themselves."

"Have a nice day, Kazuma."

"You two, my sweet!"

She watched as he exited the café with a fond smile. Kazuma was right. They would all be there for Kai, and she knew deep down in her heart that, one day, Hiei would be there for him too.

* * *

Hiei never truly got angry with Yukina, and as she apologized to him on the other line he sighed. He told her that he wasn't angry with her, ignoring the fact that he as still perturbed over Botan's strange behavior earlier.

A knock at the door diverted his attentions away from the phone call momentarily.

"Miss me?" a familiar voice asked.

Hiei looked up to see Haru, his right-hand man, standing in the threshold of the door. The tawny colored man waved his fingers gingerly, a bright grin on his features. He had taken a bit longer to migrate to Tokyo, needing to settle up some family issues first. Hiei had no problem with it, in fact, he had urged the man to stay in Kyoto and not bother coming here at all. Haru was a colorful character and although he did his job as Assistant VP well, he was also a huge thorn in Hiei's side.

"I have to go," he told Yukina.

"Okay."

He ended the call with a frown.

"I was hoping you wouldn't come," Hiei announced.

"And miss my chance to live in Tokyo for a few months? Never!" Haru exclaimed. "This city's pretty cool. I think I can get used to it here." He invited himself inside of Hiei's office, looking around curiously, before his lips dropped into a frown. "Your office is nicer than mine. Kind of bare though. You've had more than enough time to make it more comfortable looking."

"I don't care for such trivial things."

"Still... Pictures or something would be nice. I already made my office a little cozier."

"I don't care for comfort," Hiei said.

"Geez, even back in your hometown, you're still so cold!" Haru accused, although it was only for show. Nothing Hiei ever said truly fazed the man. That's why they worked so well together.

"How do you feel coming back?" Haru pried, brow raised in genuine curiosity.

"I'm here for work and not sentimental reasons. I don't feel anything other than the need to see this job to its conclusion swiftly and efficiently."

Haru pouted in a way that was utterly degrading to Hiei's own pride as a man.

"After all these years, you'd think you'd treat me more like a friend and less like a business associate," Haru feigned offense.

"And after all these years, you would think you would learn by now: I'm not the type to make friends."

"Too bad, cause we've already crossed that bridge," Haru decided stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Did you have anything substantial to say or did you simply come to throw a tantrum?"

"Well, I wanted to go over some points for the meeting at three o'clock. Then afterwards, I thought you could show me around the city."

"No."

"Maybe I'll ask Yukina, then. She's probably free."

Yukina enjoyed Haru's company - for some strange reason - but Hiei didn't want Haru's bizarre habits growing on his sister.

"Don't bother her."

"Guess I'm stuck with you then!"

"Hn."

"I'll pop back in later!" Haru slipped away, forgetting all about the fact that he needed to prep for the afternoon meeting.

Hiei sighed. It seemed as though he was always stuck with the eccentric characters.

His phone buzzed and he looked down at it with a frown. Apparently, Yusuke wanted everyone to meet him for dinner near his cart. Hiei had already decided that he wouldn't go, but when Yukina answered affirmative shortly after, he realized that he had no choice. He decided to bring Haru along as an attempt to show him around without actually having to do anything. Besides, Haru would occupy himself with the others and Hiei would be left in peace.

A few hours later, they were the last to arrive. Everyone was gathered around Yusuke's work station, apparently awaiting Hiei's arrival.

"Who's the new guy?" Yusuke asked.

"I'm Haru. I work with Hiei," he introduced himself. "Hey Yukina, Kurama. Good to see you guys again."

"Likewise," Kurama answered. "I didn't realize that you would be in Tokyo as well."

"Yeah, well, you know how it goes. Where Hiei goes, I follow. The sign of a good team."

"More like the sign of a nuisance who can't take a hint," Hiei grumbled.

"Aw, you don't mean that buddy."

Hiei rolled his eyes, before turning to face Yusuke.

"Why did you call us here?"

Yusuke smirked.

"I wanted test out my newest recipe," he revealed, rubbing his hands together. "I think it's gonna be a hit."

Yusuke proceeded to hand out his newest creation to everyone. Hiei looked down at it experimentally; it appeared to be a simple seafood dish but he had long learned not to underestimate Yusuke's skill.

"This is delicious!" Botan was the first to exclaim. "How on earth did you manage to make it taste so heavenly?"

"That's my secret and I'm taking it to the grave," Yusuke grinned.

"You couldn't tell by looking at you, but you really are a culinary genius," Shizuru admitted.

"Yup, I'm the best," he said, basking in the glory of his success.

"What's your secret?" Botan asked.

"Psh, like I'd tell a blabbermouth like you," Yusuke quipped.

"I spill one secret, one time, many years ago and you never let me live it down!" she cried.

"Sorry to agree with him, but you really can't keep a secret," Shizuru agreed.

Botan sighed, returning her attentions to her meal. The group continued to eat with minimal conversation, until Kuwabara seemed to remember something.

"Hey, guys! Remember that kid, Mitari, that I was telling you about?"

"The quiet loner?" Shizuru recalled.

"Yeah, I think we had a breakthrough. He's really turning around his attitude and his grades. And he even made a few friends!"

"That's excellent, Kuwabara!" Botan cheered.

"I'm so proud of you Kazuma," Yukina said.

Kuwabara blushed lightly.

"Good job, bro," Shizuru said.

"Thanks, didn't you say you had news too?" Kuwabara said, giving the spotlight to his sister.

"I discovered some evidence for the case I've been working on for the past month. It should come to a close soon enough," she announced.

"That's awesome, Shizuru! You were really stressing out over it this week!" Kuwabara mentioned.

"Yes, I even caught her smoking again," Kurama said, glancing over at her momentarily. "Hopefully now you can take it easy."

"Yes mother," Shizuru teased. "But don't be so modest. I read your article in the botany publication. You've been making leaps and bounds in your field."

"I didn't know you cared for such topics."

"I like to be well rounded in my knowledge," she said coolly.

Botan was bursting at the seams over the interaction and Hiei rolled his eyes. She was heavily invested in the game that those two played, but Hiei didn't much care for it.

"Well, if you're all sharing good news: this guy sealed the deal and got us a new piece of business," Haru relayed, pointing his chopsticks in Hiei's direction.

"Looks like we're all moving up in the world," Yusuke said.

It was strange, but Hiei had to agree. While he wasn't surprised by Shizuru's or Kurama's successes, he never expected that Yusuke or Kuwabara would fit in with the rest of the adult world. They had done decently for themselves; although Hiei would never admit that small fact aloud.

"Hey."

Hiei was pulled out of his thoughts as Haru nudged him.

"What?"

"Your friends are awesome. I was worried about you, being a loner and all, but it looks like you're not as alone as I thought," he commended with a thumbs up.

Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"It isn't your job to worry about me. In fact, I'd prefer it if you stopped meddling entirely."

"Aw, you know you love it, buddy."

"Hardly."

"So," Haru started in that tone of his that indicated that he was up to no good. "What's the deal with the redhead and brunette?"

Hiei glanced at Kurama and Shizuru, before shaking his head.

"I don't want to begin to think of it."

"Your sister and the carrot top?"

Hiei's expression darkened. As much as he liked to believe that Kuwabara's affections were one-sided, he knew his sister better than that.

"That's something even more unsettling."

"And the culinary genius and the bluette?"

Hiei raised a brow.

"There is nothing happening there."

"You sure? They seem pretty cozy."

Hiei looked over to see Yusuke and Botan talking about something amongst themselves. He never thought of it before, but the two did seem to be very close. He regarded them for a moment longer, before indifference kicked in.

"It's none of my concern."

"I guess not, especially since you've-"

"Don't speak of it," Hiei ordered harshly.

Haru's green eyes examined the rest of the group, before he lowered his voice to a hush.

"You still haven't told them?" he asked.

"No and it's not your business of how or when I do."

"Fine. But I don't see the big deal. They're your friends. They should know."

Hiei didn't want to deal with this now.

"Just drop it."

"Okay, okay."

Haru was annoying, but Hiei trusted him not to be careless with his words, so he wasn't worried when the orange-haired man went to better acquaint himself with the rest of the group. He noticed that Botan was nowhere to be spotted, and when he turned around to deposit his empty tray in the garbage, he saw her off to the side on her phone. She looked up at him as she ended the call, walking over to him with a bewildered expression on her face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"That was Kagura. She wants to meet this Sunday to sign a few documents and hand Kai over to us," Botan said, a hesitant smile breaking over her face. "It's really happening."

Hiei swallowed thickly, but did not say anything. He glanced at the others and noticed that they were not privy to the conversation.

"…Hiei? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered stiffly.

"Thank you again," Botan said, reaching out to touch his arm lightly. "I know that you have your own ideas about parenthood and children, but you won't regret this. You don't know how much this means to me. How much it means to Kai."

Hiei nodded wordlessly as she released him. Tomorrow he would officially and legally be the father of another human being and he honestly did not know how to feel about that. No matter how much he proclaimed that his life would not have to change because of it, he knew that things would never be the same.

* * *

There you have it. A transitional chapter with some important background info about Hiei sprinkled in. Also, Haru knows a secret about Hiei that the others don't. It won't come to light until some chapters later, but it is something important that you all should remember.

Next chapter, Kai makes his return and settles into his new life.

Also, I decided to update today because I got really motivated after seeing two awesome, amazing, spectacular pieces of fanart for this story. One is the picture you see as the cover image by LonelyDreamer7. The other was kindly shown to me by ReaperDemon and posted by a user named Alex on Tumblr! Thank you so much for the reviews and drawings. It's so exciting to read / see your interest in this fic. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

Hiei had just finished signing the last document, Botan seated anxiously at his side. Everything was taken care of beforehand, except for the matter of Kai's full name. They had quickly decided to give Kai Botan's last name, as she would be his primary caregiver and Hiei had no qualms with his last name dying out with him. He kept his eyes on Kagura as she read through the paperwork one more time and seemed satisfied with it.

"Congratulations," she said finally. "You two are officially and legally the parents of Kai Himura."

Hiei's expression did not change, but Botan's brightened.

"Child protective services will be checking in periodically to ensure that he is being taken care of adequately, but I have a feeling that he is in capable hands," Kagura mentioned.

"Yes, you can rest assured that he will be more than fine with us," Botan guaranteed, as she stood up.

"This was one of the smoothest adoptions I've ever had the pleasure of processing. I hope you all have a wonderful life together."

"Thank you."

With the help of his financial stability, a recommendation from the cowardly Dr. Kamiya and Kai's enthusiasm, the process went smoothly and quickly. The door opened and Kai ran through. He hugged Botan excitedly and thanked her for following through with her promise. Hiei pretended that he did not notice the tears well up in Botan's eyes as she hugged him in return.

"Let's go home," she said. That simple phrase was loaded with more emotion than appeared on the surface as Kai nodded and took her hand. As they exited the building, Hiei's cellphone went off. He saw Haru's number flash on the caller ID and his features pulled into an immediate frown.

"What is it?" he answered.

" _So, we've got a slight issue with Tamaki deal, and we could really use your help right about now,"_ Haru explained.

"Right now?" Hiei sighed. It was Sunday afternoon and while work never really ended, he was sure that there was nothing set for today.

" _Yeah, the deal was rescheduled so that we could pitch our deal before our competitors, but we hit a slight hitch."_

"Fine. I'll be there when I can," Hiei advised, looking over at Botan and Kai as he ended the call.

"Was that work?" Botan asked.

"Yes."

"It sounded urgent," she noted.

"They wanted me to help close a deal."

"You should go then," Botan suggested. "Kai and I can get home from here easily. Right Kai?"

Kai nodded.

"Yup."

Although Hiei's expression remained neutral, the uncharacteristic urge to protest welled up within him. Botan must have somehow read him, because she cut in before he could even contemplate whether or not he should voice the strange urge.

"Really, it's okay," she stated with a soft smile. "You've done enough."

Hiei realized that she was right. He had done what he said he would and there was no need to feel something as misguided as guilt. He nodded at Botan and glanced at Kai momentarily, before getting into his car and driving off. He ignored the odd sensation in his chest as he spared one last glance at the two of them happily chatting together at the bus stop.

He had done enough.

* * *

"Welcome home!" Botan announced as they entered her apartment. It was a decent sized living space, complete with laminate wooden floors, neutral colored walls and minimal furnishings. There was a cozy kitchen with a small table behind the living room. The entrance fed directly into the living room area, where Kai was already familiar with due to his impromptu visit a few weeks ago. Behind the living room was a small kitchen with a cozy round table for dining. Down the hallway were where the bedrooms and bathroom.

She could feel the excitement radiating off of the boy in waves as he entered his new home and kicked off his shoes.

"Your room is the last one to the left," Botan said, pointing over to his door.

Without wasting any time, he dashed off to his new space and Botan followed after him.

"You painted it blue!" he exclaimed as he stared at the walls in wonder.

"With Yusuke's help," Botan added. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" he laughed.

"Glad to hear it," she said. "How about you get settled in while I fix us something to eat?"

"I thought you said couldn't cook?" he questioned, recalling one of their previous conversations.

"Well, I can at least make us some turkey sandwiches," Botan replied with a wink.

There was a hesitation in the boy's countenance and Botan frowned, taking a step towards him.

"What's wrong?"

"I meant what I said before," he started, tensing up slightly. "I can take care of myself. You won't have to do anything extra."

Botan shook her head dismissively.

"Nonsense. I want to do these things for you," she reassured.

"I just don't want to be any trouble," he explained.

"You aren't," she comforted, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, you and I have a lot of lost time to make up for. Do you really want to waste it worrying over who does what?"

"I…"

He was just as unsure about her when it came to their new situation, but Botan wanted him to feel comfortable here. She had to at least appear to know what she was doing if she wanted Kai to feel reassured.

"I know that you're independent and used to doing things on your own but it would make me very happy if you would just relax and let me pamper you sometimes," she admitted. "So, will you do that for me?"

He was searching her eyes for some unspoken truth, before nodding in reluctant acceptance.

"Okay."

"Good. Now, is there anything in particular that you don't like? Other than vegetables?"

"Can you cut the crust?" he asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo!" she replied, happy over this small victory.

Botan left Kai to look around his room and walked over to the kitchen. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much, but she wasn't bothered by it at all. Kai's presence seemed to fill up the entire apartment and for once, she felt as though she was exactly where she needed to be. If she hadn't returned to Tokyo when she did, then she might never have crossed paths with Kai.

It was a good thing that she was surrounded by so many friends and it was by a stroke of pure luck that she had managed to meet the father of her child as well. They had all been such a great help and support system throughout the adoption process and she was sure that she could not have done it without them.

The pitter-patter of his feet brought her back to reality and she saw that Kai had joined her in the kitchen with a questioning look.

"Do you want any help?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," she answered. "I was thinking we could watch some movies while we ate. Would you mind picking one out? I've got a whole collection that I think you'll enjoy on the table."

"Sure," he answered, moving over to the living room.

From her position in the kitchen, she could see him inspecting the many DVD's arranged out on the table. She had chosen an assortment of Disney movies that she enjoyed as a child, and was sure that Kai would like them as well.

"Can we watch Tarzan?" he asked as he held the case up and displayed it for Botan to see.

"You've got it," she agreed. "How about you set it up while I make us some popcorn?"

Kai was excited enough during the first movie, chattering away and enjoying handfuls of popcorn at a time. The two of them were caught up in the same moments, their reactions nearly identical. Botan had seen this movie many times, but it was always a different experience watching it with someone new. And this new person just happened to be her very own son. The place was already starting to feel more warm and homely.

Halfway into their viewing of a second movie, Kai began to yawn and his eyes started to droop. Before she knew it, there was an extra weight on her left side as he had begun to lean into her and drift off into sleep. Botan hesitated, afraid to wake him up and disrupt him, but then she brushed aside his powder blue bangs and examined his face fully. He was so beautiful. And he was all hers. She felt herself get a little welled up with emotion and bit it back. She only had him for a day and she was already acting like an overemotional mother.

"Alright mister," she said, softly rustling him from his sleep. "It's time for you to get ready for bed."

Kai blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the influx of light as he squinted at the clock.

"Aw, really? But it's only eight-thirty!" he whined.

"Yes, really," Botan replied. She knew that it was important to create a routine for him to stick to. "You need to get your rest for school in the morning. The bus will come to pick you up at 7:15 and we can't afford to miss it."

"Alright," he agreed, hopping off of the couch obediently.

"I put your toothbrush in the bathroom and there's a clean towel in there as well," Botan instructed.

"Got it."

She heard him dragging his feet over to the bathroom and soon enough, the water for the shower was on. Botan cleared up the living room and washed the dishes in the time that it took for Kai to shower, throw on a pair of pajamas and brush his teeth. She followed him into his room, watching as he slipped underneath the covers.

"I hope you liked your first day."

"It was perfect," he answered.

"Um, do you need a night light?" she asked. "I wasn't sure if you used them or not."

"That's okay, I'm not afraid of the dark," he responded.

"I thought so," Botan winked. "If you need me for anything, I'm right across the hall."

"I'm good," he answered.

"I know, but just in case."

He nodded obediently.

"Goodnight," Botan said as she ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight Botan."

She watched him snuggle into the bed before she switched the lights off and closed the door. Her apartment didn't feel so empty anymore.

Botan awoke to the sound of her alarm. Her first instinct was to hit the snooze button and roll over, but then she remembered that it was Kai's first day of school. She quickly shut the alarm on her phone off and wandered over to his room. She rubbed at her eyes groggily, walking over to his bed and immediately jumping to full alert mode when she saw that it was empty.

"Kai?" she called out.

"Yeah?"

She followed his voice to the living room, where he was seated on the couch, reading the backs of the movie titles. He was already dressed in his navy-blue school uniform with his old backpack resting on the couch at his side.

"Well, aren't you the self-sufficient one?"

"You said the bus would be here at 7:15. I saw the uniforms in the closet and didn't want to be late," he rationalized.

Botan's eyes skittered over to the analog clock underneath he television before returning to Kai.

"It's only 6:30!"

"I… I just didn't want to be late," he repeated, gaze averted.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking a seat beside him. "Are you nervous?

"No," he denied, looking down at the floor. "I've just never been the new kid before."

Nobody liked being the new kid. Having changed schools a few times herself, Botan understood his plight. She wondered what she could do to make things better, when she remembered something important.

"I've got something that might cheer you up," Botan sing-songed, giving him a bright smile.

Kai seemed to perk up a bit, and his eyes were on her as she exited the living room and returned with a new backpack.

"I thought you could use a brand new bag for your brand new school," she announced. "I filled it up with a few notebooks, pencils, erasers and other items."

Kai's purple eyes brightened when he saw the gift.

"Thanks Botan!" he smiled graciously.

"Don't mention it," she said.

Kai hopped off of the couch and put the backpack on. He had his hands on the straps of his backpack as he beamed at her, and Botan couldn't help but take a picture for posterity's sake.

"You look absolutely adorable!"

"Adorable?" he said, scrunching up his face.

"Yes, adorable," she confirmed, showing him the picture.

Purple eyes roamed over the picture in displeasure.

"I look like a little kid," he lamented.

Botan giggled.

"You are a kid!"

He frowned and his resemblance to Hiei in that moment was astounding.

"Alright, tough guy. Do you want to take another one?" she suggested.

"Yeah!"

This time he stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a neutral expression on his face.

"How was that one?" he asked when Botan was finished taking the photo.

"Sorry Kai, but you still look adorable."

His scowl deepened and Botan chuckled at his expense. She sent both pictures to the group chat with a simple message: Kai's first day at school. The response time was quick enough, as everyone else was up and either commuting to work or getting ready for work.

 _Kick ass, kid! – Yusuke  
_ _Good luck! – Shizuru  
_ _Have a nice day, Kai! - Yukina  
_ _He's gonna do great! – Kuwabara  
_ _Hope he enjoys his first day. Let us know how it goes. – Kurama_

"Everyone wishes you well," Botan said. "Yusuke, Shizuru, your aunt Yukina, Kuwabara and Kurama."

"Everyone?" Kai repeated, his face falling in disappointment.

Botan realized that he was waiting to hear Hiei's name and she felt her heart sink. She looked down at her phone.

"It says that Hiei hasn't even read the message yet. He must be very busy," Botan noted.

"Oh, okay," Kai answered, taking the bait. "Can I reply?"

"Of course you can."

Kai took a picture of himself giving a peace sign and then typed a short message of "thanks" to the rest of the group.

"Alright, kiddo, ready for your first day?"

"Mhm!" he nodded.

As they stepped outside of the apartment complex and walked over to the bus stop, she noticed the way that his grip tightened on his backpack straps. When the bus finally came into view, his confident expression wavered slightly. It was clear that he was becoming nervous.

"You've got this, Kai. Everyone has first day jitters, but it will be okay, you'll see," she assured him. "You're the bravest kid I know. You can definitely face this."

He nodded in return and Botan hugged him. She was wholly surprised to feel the boy hug her back and she didn't think that she would ever get used to that feeling.

"Have a good day!" Botan called out as he boarded the bus. He took a window seat and she waved at him until the bus was out of sight. She felt her own nerves building, wondering if he would be able to easily navigate around the large school grounds, or if he would be able to make friends easily. She hoped he would like it at his new school.

She thought back to her time there with Kuwabara and remembered how kind his teacher was. It was a slight reassurance, but it was enough. Besides, Kai was a self-sufficient and smart boy. He would be just fine. She was sure of it.

-xx-

Hiei looked down at his phone. It had been buzzing all morning, but he did not have a chance to check it until now.

The group chat that Yusuke had made for them was filled with messages. Hiei clicked on it curiously and swiped through the pictures of Kai dressed in a school uniform. Apparently it was his first day. The others had all given him encouraging notes, and the boy sent back his own message of gratitude. Hiei examined his features. Although he had Botan's skin tone, hair color and eye color, the slanted and angular shape of his eyes and the set of his features was all Hiei. When he kept his expression impassive, as displayed in the second picture, Hiei could see traces of his own features clearly in the boy.

Hiei's finger hovered over the screen. He had nothing to say, and he supposed it was better this way.

"Ready for the meeting?" Haru asked.

Hiei nodded, returning his phone to his pocket as he stood from his desk.

-xx-

Botan had been dog sitting all day and she was absolutely exhausted. Unfortunately, she had not heard back from any of her past interviews and although it was a bit disheartening, she couldn't let it get to her. Things always had a way of working themselves out with a bit of effort and optimism, so Botan chose to believe that she would find the right job with time. Besides, the flexibility of the temp jobs was worth it when she was able to be home in time to greet Kai.

She checked the clock, noting that she had about an hour until his bus would pull in. That gave her more than enough time to squeeze in some writing, both for her portfolio and for her personal files. She decided to start on her own personal entries first. It had become second nature for her to jot down her thoughts, memories and feelings so that she wouldn't forget them and could always look back. It was a good writing exercise and it helped keep her mind sharp. She had lots of material to write lately, with the whole surprise child fiasco, and before she knew it, it was already time to meet Kai outside.

She waited near the pickup and drop-off site, and sure enough the bus came into view. It was a bright and warm afternoon, but Kai's expression was even brighter as she watched him depart from the bus and walk towards her happily.

"How was your first day?" she asked.

"It was awesome!" Kai exclaimed. "I don't know why I was even worried."

"I knew you would be just fine!" she said, relieved that it had all gone well.

She and Kai made their way back to the apartment as he began to recall his day.

"The library is really big - way bigger than my last school. Mrs. Yoshida already helped me pick out a few books for the report that's due in a couple of weeks."

"That's wonderful," Botan said as she looked at the collection of books he had checked out.

"We're only allowed to take one at a time, but she said that this would be our secret."

"Isn't that sweet of her," Botan smiled.

"And the playground was an actual playground," he recounted. "Not just a slide like my last one."

Botan laughed.

"I had a feeling you would appreciate that."

He grinned.

"Did you find your way around the place easily enough?" Botan asked.

"Yeah, my seat mate showed me around. He's really nice."

"That's great to hear."

Kai unloaded his backpack and flopped on the couch with a happy sigh.

"I made some snacks for you. Then you should get started on your homework."

"Okay."

"After you're all finished, maybe we can take a walk to the park."

"Yeah!"

"Alright, let's not waste any time then."

She watched as he munched on the apple slices and scribbled away at his homework. It consisted of a few math problems and some reading comprehension. Botan checked it over and wasn't at all surprised to see that it was perfect. He didn't seem to have any trouble with it, in fact, he did it all with ease.

"My little genius," Botan praised as she ruffled his hair.

Kai blushed at the compliment.

"By the way," Botan started. "Kuwabara and Yukina wanted to know if you'd like to come over during the weekend. Kuwabara did promise you would have full reign over his video game collection and Yukina is eager to meet her nephew."

Kai paused, suddenly looking uneasy.

"Um… do I have to?" he asked.

"No, you don't have to do anything that you aren't comfortable with," Botan said, shaking her head. "But they're really great people. Kuwabara's got a heart of gold and Yukina is probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. Besides, she's your family."

"I never really got along well with grown ups…"

"Maybe this time things will be different."

Kai was silent.

"Do you trust me?" Botan asked instead.

He nodded.

"Then would you agree to see them as a favor to me?" she asked. "If you don't like it, you won't ever have to do it again."

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll go."

The past week at Botan's had been amazing. He had his own bed, his own belongings and most importantly: his very own family. His own _mother_. She was cheery and pretty and kind. She was warm and understanding.

It was easy to talk to her and they seemed to like the same things. They could laugh together and tell stories all day. He had never been able to do that with anyone before, but with her, everything was easy. She was all of the things that he dreamt of when he envisioned his mother and more.

He had hoped he could spend the weekend with her alone, but he did promise to visit her friends: Kuwabara and Yukina. He met them once, but he didn't really know them. Botan reassured him that he would have a great time with them, even though his own instincts were saying otherwise. He had no reason to disbelieve his own mother, though, so he accepted her words with a nod and did not make a fuss when she dropped him off at Kuwabara and Yusuke's apartment. Yusuke wasn't there and Kai never bothered to ask why as he took a seat on the couch. He did remember Kuwabara promising him that he could come over and play games back when they first met, and he supposed that it was a good sign if the older man was following through on his word. Kuwabara had just gone inside of his bedroom to find the video games, leaving Kai alone with Yukina.

"It's so nice to officially meet you," Yukina said, taking a seat at the adjacent couch.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Kai answered mechanically. He looked at Yukina curiously. She was Hiei's twin sister, but aside from their eye color, they looked nothing alike.

"Would you like some snacks?" Yukina asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"No thanks," Kai declined politely, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"Are you sure? Kazuma has plenty," Yukina offered with an encouraging smile.

Kai looked over at the counter and saw that it was stocked full with all manner of snacks. Kai had a pretty big sweet tooth himself, and he felt his resolve waning.

"…Does he have any cookies?" Kai asked.

"I think he does," she said, as she got up from the couch to search for snacks in the kitchen.

Kuwabara came out from his room, carrying a few games with him.

"Which one do you want to play?"

Kai paused to search through the collection until he found something that he liked.

"How about … Smash Brothers?"

"Good choice!" Kuwabara said, tossing a controller over to Kai and then moving to insert the disc into the game station.

Yukina returned with three water bottles and a box of cookies.

"Are you playing, too?" Kai asked Yukina.

She paused in uncertainty and Kai wondered if he had said something wrong.

"I've never played any of these before," she explained. "But I suppose I could try."

Kuwabara seemed to light up in excitement, and then his eyes cut to Kai.

"Real men don't attack girls, in real life or in games," Kuwabara said.

"Okay," Kai agreed.

"That's not necessary. It's only a game," Yukina started.

"It's totally necessary, right Kai?"

"Uh… right?" he agreed, not really understanding Kuwabara's insistence.

True to his word, Kuwabara refused to attack Yukina's character. In fact, whenever the computer moved to damage Yukina's character, Kuwabara would valiantly step in. Kai took advantage of Kuwabara's weakness and often preyed on him in those moments. After a few rounds of crazy stages and hijinks, Kai found himself laughing openly and really enjoying himself with them. He had never really done that before, with any adults, but they were different. Yukina was genuinely kind and she seemed to like him, unlike Hiei, and Kuwabara was really cool.

They were nice people, just like Botan said.

"Man, you're a quick learner," Kuwabara praised, grinning down at him.

"Thanks."

"I'm terrible at this game," Yukina announced. "I think I'll bow out."

"Are you sure, my sweet?" Kuwabara asked. "I don't mind defending your honor if you want to continue!"

"Maybe you should defend your own honor. You keep ending up in last place," Kai snickered.

"Hey!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Kai's right," Yukina said with an amused smile. "Now that you don't have to worry about me, maybe you can give Kai a good challenge."

Kuwabara's eyes glazed over as his competitive spirit swelled.

"I'll win this time and I'll do it for you, my love!" he exclaimed. "The power of love will prevail!"

Kai couldn't help but laugh at Kuwabara's strange proclamations.

"Ready to lose again?" Kai teased.

"We'll see about that."

They played a few more rounds until Yukina called them to the table for dinner. She had made sukiyaki and it smelled delicious. Kai didn't even mind the vegetables this one time.

"So, what do you guys do for a living?" Kai asked.

"I'm a nurse," Yukina replied.

"And I'm a high school teacher," Kuwabara answered.

"Wow… a nurse and a teacher. You both must be really smart," Kai noted.

Kuwabara chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Yukina's the smart one," he complimented. "She knows an awful lot in the medical field and she goes above and beyond for her patients."

"I could say the same about you and your students," Yukina replied.

Kuwabara's blush deepened and Kai hid his smile behind his spoon.

"Do you want seconds, Kai?" Yukina asked, looking down at his empty dish.

He nodded.

"Sure!"

"Hiei would have liked this," Yukina mentioned, as she prepared a second serving for Kai. "I should have invited him, too."

"I don't think he would show up," Kai said a little regretfully.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm here and Hiei doesn't like me," he answered simply.

Yukina and Kuwabara exchanged wordless glances, before Yukina spoke.

"That isn't true, Kai."

"It is. But that's okay," he answered with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

"It's not okay because it isn't true," Yukina pressed.

Kai blinked.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know my brother," she said determinedly. "And I know that he could never dislike you. All he needs is time to adjust to everything."

"Time?"

"Yes," Yukina supported. "I think that he will come around in his own time."

"You're sure?"

"I am," Yukina replied.

"I guess I have time," Kai decided with a small smile.

Yukina mirrored his expression.

-xx-

Hiei was finishing up some work at home, when his phone buzzed.

There was an image of Kai in between a grinning Kuwabara and a smiling Yukina. While he did not want to get involved with the child, he had hoped that Kuwabara's stupidity would not rub off on him. At least his sister was there as a buffer.

He locked the screen and went back to work.

-xx-

Yusuke whistled contently as he cleaned the grill. He had received a text from Botan, saying that she would stop by for dinner with Kai and he was going through his inventory, wondering what he should make. It had been two weeks since Botan gained custody of her son, and as far as Yusuke was concerned, things were running smoothly. If the group chat was any indication, the boy was adjusting well to his new home and Botan was doing a stellar job taking care of him.

He spotted them making their way towards his cart in the distance and set up two seats for them.

"Hey guys," he greeted.

"Hi Yusuke," Kai replied, hopping up on his favorite stool in the middle.

"How was business today?" Botan asked.

"Booming as always," he replied. "So what are you two in the mood for?"

Kai shrugged, looking over at Botan and Yusuke followed his gaze.

"Anything that you make is fine, Yusuke," she replied. "But I did just remember that I had an errand to run in the area."

"What?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes… a very important errand," she repeated lamely.

"Botan?" he gritted warningly. He could always see right through her. She was thinking of dumping him with the kid in an attempt to get them to warm up to each other. But this was a horrible idea. He wasn't any good with kids like Kuwabara was.

"I'll be quick," she promised. "Kai, would you mind keeping Yusuke occupied for the moment?"

"Sure," he answered easily.

"I'll be back in a jiffy!" Botan said, running out before Yusuke could object.

Yusuke frowned, watching Kai from the corner of his eye. The kid seemed completely okay on his own, so Yusuke placed his attentions on his work. Although the lunchtime rush was always his busiest time, he still got a decent amount of customers at night. He cut up vegetables, seasoned some beef and set a pot of water to boil as he thought of what he should make for dinner. Although he tried to ignore the kid's presence, he could feel it searing into his back. He turned around to see purple eyes gazing at him curiously. They were just like Botan's, but that hard gaze was all Hiei. It was strange to think that he was in the presence of Hiei and Botan's child.

"So, kid," Yusuke started.

"I'm not a kid, and my name's Kai," he said quickly.

Yusuke bit back his response.

"Alright _Kai_ ," he said pointedly. "How are you adjusting to your new life?"

"I'm fine," he answered easily. "Botan's the best."

"I'm sure she is. Living with her must be great."

Kai nodded.

"It is."

"And I saw you were hanging around Kuwabara and Yukina the other day. How was that?"

Kai's gaze turned contemplative, before he settled on an adequate response.

"They're good people."

"That they are," Yusuke agreed.

There was an awkward silence that lulled over them. He was never great with kids and he couldn't believe that Botan just ditched them like this. She was definitely going to get an earful from him when she returned from her imaginary errands. He returned his attention to the dish he was currently making and got into a groove.

"How'd you get so good?" Kai asked suddenly.

"It was a complete accident… I guess I had a talent for cooking, but I never would have figured it out unless Mr. Takanka enrolled me in to keep me out of trouble."

"Out of trouble?" Kai echoed.

"Yeah, I was kinda rough around the edges back in my teens."

"Why?"

"I just was," Yusuke said. "I heard you didn't exactly follow the rules back at the foster home, so you know how it is."

"…I guess," Kai agreed. "So what happened?"

"Well, Mr. Takanaka was the only one who ever really looked out for me back then. He thought if he signed me up for extra credit classes, it'd keep me out of the streets and help my grades. I guess it did for a while."

Yusuke's expression suddenly darkened and Kai nodded encouragingly.

"He could have put me on the wrestling team or something cool, but he stuck me in home economics with a bunch of girls."

Kai erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Glad you can find some humor in my pain," Yusuke grumbled.

"Sorry… it's just… your face… you look so disturbed."

"I was disturbed. You don't wanna know about half the things that teenage girls talk about. It was … freaky," Yusuke recalled with a grimace. "And not in the way I like."

Kai's nose crinkled in confusion and Yusuke waved a hand dismissively as he continued.

"Anyway, turns out I was pretty good at cooking and experimenting with new styles. Kuwabara had a lot of fun teasing me about it until he tried my stuff. Then he realized that I'm a culinary god and he announced my superiority over him."

"…Did that really happen?"

"It might as well have," Yusuke said cheekily. "So, like I was saying, I kept on cooking after that and I just kept getting better. Ass kicker by day, culinary master by night."

"Botan says you're really popular around here."

"Yeah, I make do," he smirked. "Hiei even stops by regularly."

"He does?" Kai asked, eyes rounding in interest.

"Yeah, he usually comes by during his lunch break. He doesn't even have to order, I can tell what he wants without him saying it."

"Really?" Kai asked, brows rising higher in wonder.

"Yeah," Yusuke nodded. "If he looks neutral, I'll give him the beef pot. If he looks tired, I'll give him the chicken based dish to get him energized. If he's got that frown on that looks like he wants to kill someone, I give him the seafood specialty. It's his favorite."

"Wow. You're good."

"I can show you how to make his favorite," Yusuke offered. "Although the guy probably won't admit that he has a favorite."

"What about Botan? Does she have a favorite?"

"Hm, the seafood specialty is her favorite, too. Who would have thought that they had something in common other than you?"

Kai smiled.

As Yusuke began to explain the complexities and intricacies behind his recipe, Kai nodded along intently. The kid was a quick learner. Although Kai tried to hold back his obvious enthusiasm, Yusuke could see it plainly. This wasn't so bad, he decided as Kai grinned up at him.

The sound of a shutter going off was Yusuke's first indication that Botan had returned.

"Well, don't you two look nice and chummy?" Botan teased.

"Yusuke's teaching me how to make your favorite," Kai revealed.

"Is he now?" Botan asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah!"

"That's not fair, I've asked him what his secret ingredient is a hundred times and he never spills the beans."

"That's cause you're a blabbermouth. But Kai can keep a secret, can't he?"

Kai nodded eagerly.

 _Yeah_ , Yusuke decided, this really wasn't so bad.

-xx-

Again, Hiei's phone was buzzing incessantly, as it only did when it involved Kai.

This time there was a picture with him at Yusuke's food cart.

Yusuke was an undeniably bad influence on the child, but it wasn't his problem.

-xx-

Although Shizuru had visited Botan's apartment multiple times since he had begun to live with Botan, this was the first time that he was actually left alone with her. She was really cool though, so he didn't mind.

"Hey, you want to help me with these files?" Shizuru asked.

"Sure, what should I do? Do you need me to help you prove someone's innocence?" Kai asked excitedly.

"Nothing that fancy. Do you think you can manage to get that stack of files in alphabetical order for me?"

"Aw, that's easy."

"But it's necessary," she answered.

"Okay."

"Thanks, I'm counting on you."

"You got it," he answered with a salute.

Shizuru couldn't help but chuckle as she walked away to retrieve her phone.

Kai could hear her arguing with someone on the other line as he began to work. Shizuru treated him like he was more than just a kid, which he always appreciated. She spoke to him like he was an adult and she was way more mature than Yusuke and Kuwabara. He often found himself forgetting that she was Kuwabara's older sister, due to their stark differences.

After he had gotten all the files sorted through, Shizuru explained some legal terms and technicalities to him and he soaked all of the information up like a sponge. It was all very interesting to him. Botan's friends were all really interesting, now that he thought about it.

"Do you want to pick up some dinner tonight? There's a diner that my coworker was telling me about," Shizuru started.

"Sure… do you think Kurama can come too?"

"I don't know what his schedule is like, but there's no harm in asking."

Kai smiled victoriously and Shizuru folded her arms over her chest.

"Just for the record: I'm onto you, Kai."

"Huh?"

"Did your meddling mother have anything to do with this?"

"Anything to do with _what_ , Shizuru?" he asked innocently.

She stared down at Kai accusingly, going full lawyer mode on him.

"I know she put you up to it."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" he replied, looking away innocently.

"Wipe that innocent kitten look off your face and just admit it."

Kai's expression turned devious now.

"Maybe she said something about you and Kurama. But I'm just a kid… what do I know?"

"You seem to know plenty when it's convenient for you," Shizuru mused.

Kai grinned at her mischievously in that same feline way that Botan often did.

"Kurama probably knows exactly what you two are up to," Shizuru noted.

"Botan said that he probably knew what we were doing before we planned to do it," Kai recalled.

"That's true… he's always a step ahead."

"But, he's not stopping it," Kai said, echoing Botan's words.

"Because we're friends and he's only being polite."

"Botan thinks you're selling yourself short."

"Ugh, do you two sit around talking about how you're going to meddle in other people's lives all day?"

"Not all day," he defended. "Only when we're really bored."

Shizuru sighed.

"So, when can we see him?"

"Give me a minute," Shizuru replied, collecting her keys. "You're lucky I find it extremely hard to say no to you."

Kai grinned up at her in response, making a mental note to let Botan know how the rest of the night goes between Kurama and Shizuru.

"Okay, let's go," she said.

-xx-

Apparently, the third weekend of the month was Kurama and Shizuru's turn to entertain the boy.

Well, at least they were sensible and mature. Hiei had no qualms with this particular picture of them at a diner. Or at least, he shouldn't have had any issue with it. But something strange bubbled up within him that he couldn't quite digest. He returned his phone to the table and decided not to check it for the rest of the night.

-xx-

After a month of living with Kai, Botan had learned his habits. While he wasn't afraid of the dark, thunderstorms, or monsters under the bed, he was wary around bugs. He hated being treated like a kid unless he really trusted the person that was doing it. He put on a mature front around strangers and people that he wasn't familiar with, but once he became comfortable with you, his walls fell and he was the curious and cheerful boy that she loved to see. He loved to read and play games. He was very independent and used to doing things on his own, but he had quickly gotten used to having Botan do things for him. And he had warmed up to her affectionate hugs and kisses.

They could spend hours talking about the most random subjects and laughing over nonsensical things. In the same vein, they were comfortable sitting in silence; Kai lost in a book while Botan worked away on her laptop. She looked forward to seeing him come home from school every day and she enjoyed tucking him in at night. She lived for those bright smiles that he only shared with her and she enjoyed discovering exactly how witty, unique and special the boy really was.

"I can't believe the month is almost over already!" Botan said, as she clicked away at her laptop. "It was quite the eventful time for you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Kai agreed from his position beside her on the couch. "It went by so fast."

"And now that you've properly gotten to know the gang, how do you like them? They're pretty neat, huh?"

Kai nodded and Botan could see that he was genuine.

"Yukina said she would show me some old family photos next time and Kuwabara said I could come over and play the newest game," he revealed.

"And, if I recall correctly, Yusuke told me to stop by so that he could show you his newest top secret recipe," Botan remembered.

Kai nodded excitedly.

"Oh, and Kurama and Shizuru promised to show me some cool new books next time, plus I think they've gotten closer. You were so right, they really are in denial," Kai snickered.

Botan laughed. Kai was just as invested in Shizuru and Kurama as she was, although she supposed the only reason he found interest in them in the first place was because she had brought it to his attention when she was teasing Shizuru one day. In any case, he seemed to be getting along with everyone splendidly. He was doing well at school and he had made a few close friends as well. The first month was going along swimmingly, if she decided to ignore the fact that Hiei had been suspiciously absent.

"I'm glad you're getting along with everyone so well," Botan said finally.

"Me too. I never liked adults much, but you guys are different."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone was always lying to me. They treated me like a child."

"You are a child, Kai," she reminded him, poking him in the side.

"But I'm not stupid. I know when people aren't telling the truth. And that's all they ever did back at the orphanage and the foster home."

"I'm sorry," Botan empathized.

"It's okay," he dismissed. "I guess it doesn't matter now that I'm here."

"I'll be honest with you," she promised. "And, in turn, I want you to do the same with me."

"Okay," he agreed.

There was one thing she was worried about though. She hoped Kai was truly feeling at home. He seemed to go along with whatever she said without complaint.

"I mean it, you don't have to pretend to like everything, you know. I won't be upset or angry if you say what you feel."

"I'm not pretending. I like everything because it's from you," he replied simply. "I even like it when you treat me like a kid and when you burn our breakfast."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Botan answered.

Kai was silent for a while, before he brought his gaze up to meet Botan's.

"Do you miss your old life?" he asked.

Botan paused to consider the question. Sure, before Kai she had all the freedom in the world. She didn't have to worry about anyone but herself. She could pick up and go anywhere. But now, she was tied to him. She had someone else depending on her; someone who needed her.

Someone who loved her.

And she absolutely loved it.

"Things are much better this way," she said finally. "I'm really glad you found me when you did."

He grinned, but did not respond.

"Hey, how about we try to make something fun for dinner?" Botan suggested.

"Yeah!"

"Why don't you go search for a recipe on my laptop, and I'll see what ingredients we have."

"Okay."

She passed the laptop over to him and smiled as he immediately began typing away. Before Kai's arrival, she probably would have been at the bar with her friends and they would be having a grand old time, but she was more than happy to be here with Kai.

* * *

Hiei sat at the bar while the others prattled on. For the entirety of the month of April, Hiei had managed to keep his interactions with Botan and Kai to a minimum. The only contact he really had with her was concerning the child support payments he had direct deposited into an account solely for Kai and the group chat, which he never wrote on. He had kept himself busy with work, although he had admittedly become faintly distracted by all of the updates and happenings in the group chat. Meet ups at the bar had been few and far between, but when Hiei did attend he was subjected to listening to stories about Kai. And, unfortunately for Hiei, tonight was no different.

"When he scowls, he really reminds me of Hiei," Yukina said amusedly.

"Yeah, but his personality is nowhere near as distasteful as mister dark and grumpy over here," Yusuke laughed, cocking a thumb in Hiei's direction.

"He is a little mischief maker, though," Shizuru noted with mild fondness in her eyes. "We have Botan to blame for that."

Yusuke snorted.

"That's for sure."

"He's really smart for his age, too," Kuwabara noted. "I think he could even skip a few grades if he really wanted to."

"I thought so as well," Kurama agreed. "The books that he is interested in are all far above his reading age's suggested levels."

Kuwabara had begun to say something else about Kai when Hiei decided to slip away. He couldn't stand another minute in the presence of those fools while they chattered on about the child. It wasn't as though Hiei disliked Kai – he simply did not need to be constantly reminded of his existence. He had heard more about the child than he had physically seen of him in this past month. It was as if he was a phantom ghost, haunting Hiei's every turn. He had been walking aimlessly for some time now and only stopped when he realized that he was directly in front of Botan's building.

His pocket felt heavier as he toyed with the idea of handing her the check that was concealed there. He had every intention of going to the bank tomorrow and taking care of it there, but that would be a waste of time when he considered the fact that he could personally hand it off to Botan right now. He had a lot personal and work errands to tend to tomorrow and it would be illogical to pass this opportunity up. Besides, it couldn't hurt to see the boy once, if only to be reminded that he was real and that this was not some unending nightmare. Before he knew it, he was knocking on her apartment door.

"Who is it?" Kai asked.

"Hiei."

The sound of the door unlocking was all Hiei heard until Kai opened the door. The boy's purple eyes were on him unblinkingly, and Hiei felt strangely uncomfortable under the child's scrutiny.

"Hiei, what a pleasant surprise," she greeted, a smile playing at her lips. When Kai continued to stare at him blatantly, Botan nudged him.

"Hi," Kai said curtly, before looking away entirely.

"Please come in," Botan urged with a smile.

Hiei swallowed thickly. This was a very bad idea. He shouldn't have come.

"Hiei?" Botan tried.

He snapped out of his thoughts when his nose was assaulted with a strange scent.

"What is that smell?" Hiei asked.

Botan and Kai's eyes went wide as they turned to each other.

"The okonomiyaki!" they yelled in unison.

The two darted into the kitchen with Hiei following closely behind. There was a small fire on the stove and Botan immediately jumped into action. She threw some water on the fire and squealed when it raged to life.

"You don't use water on a grease fire!" Hiei shouted at her.

"Smother it!" Kai suggested.

Hiei grabbed the pan's lid and covered the frying pan entirely, before turning the heat off from the stove. Botan had dark soot all over her face and Kai busted out laughing at the sight of the three of them, looking frantic and crazed. Botan started to laugh as well and Hiei wondered if the two had some sort of mutation embedded into their genetic makeup to cause them to behave so lightheartedly.

"You're both crazy," Hiei spat.

"Oh, no, Hiei, it looks like some of your eyebrows got singed off in the fire!" Botan pointed out.

"What?" he barked, whipping out his phone to view his reflection. His eyes narrowed in confusion when he saw nothing wrong with his face. The two of them began laughing even harder and Hiei's expression hardened when he realized what the woman was doing.

"That was a good one, Botan!" Kai said in between his chuckles. His laughter soon turned to coughing, and Botan ushered him out of the room while Hiei opened up the windows.

"Hn, you can't even cook a simple meal without nearly burning the place down," Hiei berated.

"I just got distracted when you came, is all!" she defended, opening up the window in the kitchen.

"You can't afford to get distracted while you have a child around, woman," he chastised harshly.

"I didn't realize you cared so much," she replied without thinking.

She immediately realized the gravity of her words, eyes going wide as she apologized.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

Hiei would have classified the slightly bitter aftertaste of her words as hurt, but then he remembered that she was right: he didn't care. Or at least he wasn't supposed to. He rolled his eyes, prepared to leave the apartment entirely, when Botan placed a hand on his arm to halt him.

"I'm really sorry," she said again. "You were absolutely right, I should have been more careful."

Hiei nodded and she released him.

"Thank you for helping out," Botan said gratefully.

"Hn."

As the two entered the living room together, Botan turned to Kai.

"I think we should probably get dinner elsewhere tonight, while the place airs out," she suggested.

"Okay," he readily agreed.

"There's an actual okonomiyaki cart just down the street. How about we try it," she suggested. "We can't let Yusuke know about it, though, or else he will see it as betrayal."

Kai nodded seriously, taking Botan's words to heart.

"Got it," he answered, before perking up. "Can we get dessert, too?"

"Well, that all depends on whether or not you eat some vegetables for dinner," she answered, sounding

Kai pouted, but Botan did not waver.

"Now, now, don't pull that face with me. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Hn," Kai grunted in response.

Hiei's eyes widened a fraction, before he turned to Botan. She did not look surprised at Kai's reply, so he could only come to one conclusion.

"Did you teach him that?" Hiei accused.

"Why on earth would I do something like that?" Botan countered.

"To mock me."

"I didn't!"

"Teach me what?" Kai interrupted, blinking curiously.

"That very particular manner of grunting," Botan answered.

Hiei took personal offense to that and shot a glare in Botan's direction.

"I always do that," Kai said. "Why?"

"Because Hiei does the same exact thing," Botan teased.

"Really?" Kai asked, brows shooting upwards in surprise.

Hiei grunted automatically, realizing his folly only when he saw Kai's eyes widen in amazement.

"See?" Botan said to Kai. "It's exactly the same."

Kai nodded, looking amused by the whole situation. Hiei shoved his hands in his pockets and pretended not to notice the way Kai was biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from grinning.

"He uses my catchphrase, too," Botan whispered to Hiei, as though it were some big secret.

"That annoying one?" Hiei recalled.

"Bingo!" Botan finished. "He said it back when we barely new each other and I was just as surprised as you."

Hiei glanced at the boy. He was strange on so many levels, because he was a perfect blend of him and the eccentric woman standing before him. It was still hard for him to wrap his head around the very idea of having a son.

"In any case, we had better get going," Botan announced, breaking Hiei out of his thoughts. She paused to regard him curiously. "Say… do you want to join us?"

Kai looked up at him wordlessly and an inexplicable sensation overtook Hiei in that moment. He cleared his throat and shook his head, breaking out of the spell.

"No, I only came to give you the money," Hiei answered, ignoring the disappointed way that Kai's gaze fell to the floor.

"I'll go get my jacket," Kai said, trudging back to his room quietly.

Both Hiei and Botan watched the boy's slow and sluggish movements, but Hiei was the first to look away. He reached for his wallet and pulled out the check, which Botan accepted with a nod.

"Thank you," she said. "Maybe next time you'll be free to join us."

Hiei didn't answer, instead choosing to find his way out of the apartment. He felt strangely torn, as though perhaps he should have taken them up on their offer. But his sentiments were wasted. He knew very well why he shouldn't join them or why he shouldn't have come here tonight. It was a mistake; one that he could not afford to make a second time.

"Hiei, wait."

Hiei paused, turning around in the hallway to see that Kai was standing before him with his hands behind his back.

"What is it?"

"Um… I…" Kai trailed off.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the boy to say whatever it is he came out here for. Kai slowly brought his hands out in front of him and prostrated an item in front of Hiei. He was wholly shocked to see that it was a comic book series that he had once been interested in back in his teenage years.

"I got this for you," Kai said. "Yukina said you used to like it and I thought you'd want to know how it ended."

Hiei accepted the comic book numbly.

"Why?" he managed to ask.

"I just saw it and thought of you… that's all," Kai said, scratching the back of his head.

Hiei stared back at the boy wordlessly and Kai looked away.

"Anyway, you have stuff to do, so you I'll let you go."

Hiei nodded in acknowledgement, watching as Kai returned to his apartment. Something foreign settled in his chest as looked down at the comic in his hands.

Something strange was happening.

Something that he could not explain.

* * *

Hope you all liked this chapter. Hiei's appearances were pretty scarce, but I did want to spend a little time to show you all the interactions between Kai and everyone else during the first month. The next chapter will feature much more of Hiei and how he adjusts to things.

Thanks for the kind support so far. Please drop a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Kuwabara carefully held the three ice-cream cones in his hands as he searched for Yukina and Kai. April had come and gone and May greeted them with blooming flowers, clear skies and warm weather, so they decided to enjoy it while Botan was on another one of her interviews. He finally spotted them near one of the benches, but paused when he noticed Kai's tense filled posture.

"I gave Hiei that comic you said he liked. I don't know if he's going to read it though…" Kai revealed to Yukina, scratching the back of his head in uncertainty.

Yukina smiled softly.

"I'm sure he appreciated the gesture," she replied, hands folded in her lap. "Hiei isn't a man of many words, but actions do mean something to him."

"Was he like this with you too?" Kai asked innocently.

Yukina hesitated to answer for a moment, before relenting with a sad shake of her head.

"No," she admitted.

Kai's turned his gaze downwards and silence enveloped the two. Kuwabara's grip tightened on the ice-cream cones as he waited for Kai to say what was weighing heavily on his mind.

"…How much longer," he started, bringing his gaze up to meet Yukina's. "How much longer do you think I have to wait?"

Kuwabara felt his own chest tighten at the boy's question.

"I don't know, Kai," she answered honestly, placing a hand on her hand on his small shoulder. "But I'm choosing to believe in Hiei, because that's all I can do right now."

Kai smiled sadly and nodded in return. From what he remembered, Kai was naturally distrustful of most people but he had warmed up to Botan because she was his family. And he had warmed up to them because they were good friends of Botan's. Rejection hurt on many levels and even more so if it was from a parent. Kai's determination would run dry if Hiei didn't do something quick. Kuwabara's frown deepened until the liquefied ice cream came running down his hand and brought him back to reality.

"Sorry I took so long," Kuwabara said as he rejoined them with a forced grin. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Kazuma," Yukina said politely.

"Thanks," Kai echoed.

"Anything for my favorite people," he replied.

Kai pulled his ice cream cone away from his mouth and raised a brow.

"You only just met me, how can I be one of your favorites?" he asked in innocent curiosity.

"Easy. You just are," Kuwabara replied.

Kai snorted.

"You're kind of weird."

"I'll take that as a compliment, little buddy."

The blue-haired boy had tried his best to bite back his smile, but Kuwabara could see the untamed glee in those purple eyes. The entire group had assimilated Kai into their midst with hardly any effort, and soon enough, it became impossible to think of a future without him. Kuwabara honestly could not understand how Hiei could willfully ignore his own son, but he had had enough. After walking Yukina and Kai to the arcade, he promised them that he would be back. He trudged over to the only place a guy like Hiei would still be on a perfectly good and decent Friday evening and stepped inside of the large, corporate building. The place was pretty impressive and, supposedly, Hiei was a pretty important executive. Kuwabara often forgot how far Hiei had reached in such a short amount of time, but to him, Hiei would always be that punk with a bad attitude and even worse manners that he met in high school.

"Hello, how may I help you?" a blonde haired woman greeted.

"I'm here to speak with Hiei Jaganshi," Kuwabara informed, resting his hands on the counter.

"Did you make an appointment?" she inquired.

"No, but can you tell him that Kuwabara wants to see him?"

"One moment please."

Kuwabara strummed his fingers against the receptionist table's smooth surface as he watched her press Hiei's extension.

"There is a Mr. Kuwabara here to see you," she spoke into the headset.

Kuwabara could hear Hiei's voice on the other line, but he could not determine what he was saying. The woman listened intently, nodding her head. She sent an apologetic look his way and folded her hands together.

"Hiei is very busy today," she informed diplomatically. "If you'd like, we can make an appointment and you can come back then."

"Figures he would be difficult," Kuwabara griped, reaching a hand into his pocket and dialing Hiei's number. After the second ring, he finally picked up.

 _"What do you want?"_ came the gruff demand.

"Look, either you come down or I go up there. We need to talk and this won't take long."

 _"You do know that there is such a thing as security, don't you?"_

"Oh, bite my ankles, shorty!" Kuwabara screamed into the receiver. He received a few disparaging looks from suited members of the company and he lowered his voice. "This is really important and I'm not leaving until you come here."

The line disconnected and Kuwabara grumbled to himself about the other man's horrible personality. The receptionist was giving him a strange look and he grinned apologetically.

"Sorry about that," he said.

She smiled in return, but did not respond verbally. Kuwabara turned away so that she could not see the signs of his embarrassment and tapped his foot on the ground as he waited for Hiei to show. He looked around him casually, taking note of the security guards flanking the exits warily. Everything from the high walls to the floors had a smooth and clean finish, large windows brought in plenty of sunlight and the entire area was clean and spotless. It felt kind of stuffy in there though; Kuwabara had never been the corporate type, so he took his mind elsewhere. He mentally planned out his entire weekend, even going as far as figuring out just how long he could hold off on grading today's test papers before it was just plain irresponsible, before he let out an impatient sigh. He fished in his pockets, ready to call Hiei and chew him out again when when he spotted a flash of spiked hair and red eyes.

"Finally shorty, I was thinking you wouldn't show," Kuwabara taunted like clockwork.

"I may be unsympathetic to most plights, but even I could not stomach the thought of subjecting the employees to another moment in your presence," Hiei returned.

"How noble of you," Kuwabara mocked, his face twisted into a grimace. "This won't take long-"

"Not here."

Without further warning or prompting, Hiei exited the building. Kuwabara followed him off of the company's property and into the public park. There were less people here now that some time had passed and soon enough, Hiei had come to a halt.

"Now, explain to me why you felt the need to come all the way down to my workplace to pester me," he demanded to know, crimson eyes hard and unforgiving.

"Don't flatter yourself, shorty. It's for a perfectly good and reasonable reason."

"And what might that be?" Hiei asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black slacks.

"It's about Kai," Kuwabara began, immediately taking note of they way that Hiei's expression darkened.

"I already made myself clear; how I choose to go about this is none of your concern."

Hiei turned to leave and Kuwabara followed after him.

"Don't you care at all?" Kuwabara accused.

"Whether I do or don't isn't any of your business," Hiei replied coldly.

"But he's your son!"

"I'm well aware of that fact," Hiei said, continuing to walk away.

"Well, here's something you might not know," Kuwabara started. "You ignoring him time and time again is only causing him to think that you hate him. And even though he acts like it's okay, it really bothers him."

Hiei paused, posture rigid and tight as he twisted around to meet Kuwabara's gaze. His mouth was drawn into a hard line until he opened it to speak.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Hiei insisted. "You're simply projecting what you think the boy is feeling."

"I overheard him talking with Yukina earlier today," Kuwabara stated firmly. "And he said something about it before too."

Hiei seemed to be caught in a moment of hesitation. Kuwabara couldn't begin to think of what might be running through his mind, but that did not justify Hiei's horrible attitude or behavior.

"He thinks you want nothing to do with him," Kuwabara added.

"And he's right."

"But why?" Kuwabara asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"That much should be obvious," Hiei replied tersely.

Kuwabara frowned, immediately understanding the other man's plight.

"I know about what happened with you in the past-"

"Don't," Hiei warned, his voice dangerously low.

"But that doesn't excuse how you're acting right now," Kuwabara continued. "A real man wouldn't just ignore his own flesh and blood. A real man would step up and be there."

"You constantly spit useless phrases about life and honor, but you don't understand what it means to do what's best," Hiei replied in disdain. "You don't know what it means to do what is necessary."

"I don't understand how you ignoring Kai could ever be what's necessary," he countered. "Sure, you're a rude little jerk, but you're his dad. He would look past all of that for the chance to get to know you."

"You couldn't understand," Hiei spat. "And that's why you shouldn't speak."

"I do understand."

"No, you don't."

"Look, our situations might've been different as day and night, but I know how important a father is in a kid's life. And I might not be able to stand you most of the time, but I can't deny that you're a good brother to Yukina."

Hiei seemed to be taken aback by the confession, the tension in his features draining somewhat.

"Don't you think you owe it to yourself to do the same with Kai?" Kuwabara urged. "All you have to do is be there for him. That's all."

Hiei looked away.

"He's a really great kid, but I shouldn't have been the one to tell you that," Kuwabara finished. He decided to take his leave, knowing that any further talk would be futile. He didn't know if he had gotten through to Hiei. Hell, he wouldn't even be surprised if the menace had tuned out the entire conversation. But if even a little of what he said reached through to Hiei, then, for now, that would be enough.

* * *

Hiei sighed inwardly.

Hiei didn't care about what the others thought of his decision, but hearing that the boy had formed his own decision about it was a little off putting. He could not afford to dwell on it though. Kai was young and he would get over it soon enough. Hiei decided to return to work, when he spotted a familiar face a few feet away.

"Something's not right when Kuwabara is the voice of reason," Yusuke muttered, shaking his head regretfully.

Crimson eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?"

Yusuke pointed up towards the sign on his cart, brown orbs pinning Hiei with an obvious look.

"Uh, I work here?"

Hiei took in his surroundings. He didn't even realize that they were here.

"You look troubled. More so than usual," Yusuke observed, leaning on the counter nonchalantly.

"I'm fine," Hiei replied, taciturn as always.

"Well... since we're in the whole topic of sharing, I've got something to say too," Yusuke decided, pushing himself off of the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. "We all decided that we would stay out of it, so I'll make it quick."

"Between the oaf's unwarranted opinion, Yukina's daily advice, the fox's meddling and Shizuru's blatant disapproval of my decision, you have all been doing a horrible job of _staying out of it_ ," Hiei accused. When he thought about it, the only one who truly respected his wishes was Botan. "So say your piece and leave me be. I don't have the time or the patience for this."

"Alright, alright," Yusuke appeased. "It's no surprise that I know a thing or two about absentee fathers. They're irresponsible, selfish and full of excuses, but you don't actually fit the bill. You might be impulsive and hasty sometimes, but you always take care of you and your own at the end of the day."

"I'm doing what I can," Hiei replied. "You know that."

"I know," Yusuke agreed, his words laced with far more than what was said on the surface.

While Kuwabara and Shizuru grew up with a decent man for a father, Yukina and Kurama had the love and care of their respective mothers and Botan never had to deal with the disappointment of having an unfit father, Yusuke understood what it meant to have a father that might have been there, but wasn't necessarily needed. He was the only one in their group who could comprehend Hiei's position, considering the fact that his father was less than stellar. He was the only one that Hiei could reason with.

"If you were in my place, what would you do?" Hiei asked.

"I'm glad I'm not," Yusuke started with a sigh of relief. "But if I was, I wouldn't do to my kid what my dad did with me. I would be there for him, no matter what."

It made sense. Yusuke's father was in and out of his life for a majority of his childhood. Yusuke would want to be more of a constant in his own child's life, having known the empty feeling of abandonment and loneliness that an absentee father produced. But Hiei's circumstances were different. His father was there and he was awful. And Hiei had inherited those same horrible traits. Kai would be better off without him. It wasn't a case of self-loathing or pity; it was simple and logical fact. Hiei knew his strengths and where he excelled. Being a parent, being a father, was not one of them. He didn't have the time, the patience or the will. Call it selfish or logical, he didn't care either way. He did what he could financially, but everything else was left in Botan's hands. She was capable of taking care of Kai the way he needed to be cared for. She was enough.

"I know what you're thinking," Yusuke said. "Botan's probably thought of the same thing about herself when she first met Kai. But he wasn't better off without her, and he won't be better off without you either. I think he needs both of you. Take it from someone who's got a little experience in this area of life."

Yusuke was words stayed with him as he walked away. None of the others could truly understand the reasoning behind his decisions and he did not expect them to. He just hoped that the rest of his time in Tokyo wouldn't be like this. He wasn't sure how many more speeches laced with well intentions he could stomach.

His cellphone rang again and he purposely let it go to voicemail. He knew that she should have gone back to work, but the stuffy silence of his office was becoming more and more unappealing to him, so he followed the path until he reached more familiar territory. He could see the bar across the street, rowdy and full of life. With nothing better to do, he crossed the road and entered through the wooden door.

Chuu greeted him immediately from behind the bar and Hiei nodded at the mowhawked man in acknowledgement. As he ventured further inside, he caught sight of Botan seated at the bar. She must have felt his eyes on her, because soon after she was turning in his direction and smiling at him.

"It's certainly been a while since I've seen you, Hiei."

He frowned, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"Nothing," Botan answered, blinking in confusion. "I was sitting here first. You're the one who came in after me."

She was right and he took a deep breath to calm himself. He was still so wound up over Kuwabara and Yusuke blindsiding him with advice that he assumed that the woman intended to do the same. But it appeared as though they were both simply in the same place at the same time. The last time he had seen her was when he provided the check for Kai. He still felt a sense of unease around her, so he turned away.

"Wait! I didn't say that I wanted you to go, I was only answering your question," she replied hurriedly. "I'm leaving soon anyway, so you might as well stay."

Hiei did not understand why she wanted him to stay. She should have resented him for rejecting the boy, but true to what she said back at the park all those weeks ago, she seemed to be genuinely and platonically interested in his wellbeing. He was silent as he eyed the empty seat next to her. There were no other open spots available at the bar and the people that had occupied the booths were the types that he did not want to associate with. He settled into the seat silently as Botan shifted to view him fully.

"Rough day at work?" she asked softly, regarding him with a sympathetic look.

"No," he answered, closing his hand around the drink that Chuu had thoughtfully provided.

"Well, at least work is going well for one of us," Botan supposed, bringing her drink closer as she took a sip from the black straw.

While she was distracted, Hiei took the opportunity to rake his eyes over her form. She was dressed up again, this time in gray slacks and a pink blouse.

"Another failed interview," he assumed.

"Trying is half the battle, so I suppose I didn't completely fail," she reasoned, setting her glass back on the bar's counter with a half shrug. She should have been upset or disappointed, but her chipper demeanor prevailed.

He did not see the need for her good mood. In fact, he almost begrudged her for it.

"Why are you always so cheery?" he asked moodily.

Botan paused in her ministrations, looking over at Hiei with a raised brow.

"Why are you always so grumpy?" she countered.

"I asked first," Hiei pressed.

Botan's expression turned thoughtful ass he paused to consider his question.

"There are lots of things to be angry over or discontented with in this world, but we have just as many reasons to be happy too," she noted. "While others choose to stew in their own misery, I choose to look on the bright-side and find happiness wherever I can, even if it's hard."

"Hn, what troubles could a happy-go-lucky woman like you have?" he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You'd be surprised," she said tight-lipped and erring on the enigmatic side. "What about you? Feel like sharing with the class?"

"Not particularly."

"Alright. But whatever it is, I'm sure you'll overcome it soon. You are the great and mighty Hiei, after all," she teased, before her expression softened. "Things will get better, they eventually always do."

The tension in his features lessened somewhat and he loosened his grip around the glass.

The two sat in comfortable silence as the world went on around them. The drunken idiots in the corner were singing some type of old sailor song that Hiei himself hadn't heard in years, while a group of girls giggled loudly at another booth. Chuu's booming voice echoed as he retold a story, his accent and the speed with which he spoke blurring his words immensely. Glasses clanked, customers cheered and the sounds of movement and feet scuffling across the floor filled his ears. Hiei hated crowded and noisy places, but it was better than sitting in solitude and allowing his thoughts to crowd his mind.

He glanced over at Botan, who was currently toying with the umbrella of her fruity pink drink. He half expected her to mention Kai, or attempt to subtly suggest that he should spend more time with the boy, but she didn't. Perhaps she had given up on him or perhaps she had come to the conclusion that Kai didn't need him, but Hiei didn't believe that either was the case. He might have been giving her too much credit at this point, but it seemed as though she had simply read the situation and realized that it was not the appropriate time to pester him. She just sat there, providing him with some form of quiet companionship.

He didn't need it.

But it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

A few minutes later he noticed movement from the corner of his eye.

"I had better get going," Botan announced, looking down at her watch. "We're all supposed to be at Shizuru's soon."

"What?"

"Didn't you check your messages for the day?"

"No," he answered.

"Well, if you had read them, you would know that Shizuru won the case that she was working on. We're all going over there later tonight to celebrate."

Hiei frowned when he remembered something.

"Where's the boy?"

"Yukina and Kuwabara offered to watch Kai and bring him to Shizuru's place for me, since I had an interview earlier. Unfortunately, it ended much sooner than I thought, so I suddenly found myself with some extra time on my hands. Before I knew it, I sort of just ended up here."

"Hn."

"So, do you think you'll join us?"

"No," he answered. "I have to get back to work."

Her expression fell for the first time since he had been in her presence and he felt the annoying sting of guilt hit him. Botan remained silent as she dug through her purse and pulled out a few bills.

"I'll take or of it," Hiei said.

There was no warmth to his tone or in his expression, but Botan froze nonetheless, completely stunned by his out of character generosity. Truth be told, he was just as shocked as her. The words fumbled out without his consent and he supposed it was due to his strange honor code. Botan had been unnecessarily nice to him and for once, she did not exacerbate his bad mood. He supposed this was how things would be if they didn't fight all the time; if they actually got along.

"Oh no, that's quite all right," Botan declined with a shake of her head. "You're doing what you can for Kai. I should at least take care of myself. Thank you though."

She left her money on the counter and adjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder.

"You should stop by sometime. It would be nice to see you again."

Whether she meant it for herself or for Kai, Hiei could not be sure. She must have known that he wouldn't take her up on that offer and she tried anyway. He could not fully wrap his mind around her brand of personality and her optimistic outlook, but he supposed that it was good that Kai was with her now. The boy wouldn't have the chance to turn out like him: cynical and hardened by life. He was in good hands; Botan was exactly what he needed.

* * *

The celebratory dinner for Shizuru was underway when a nervous looking Kai pulled Kurama off to the side. They were standing in the small hallway leading towards the bathroom, when Kai finally looked up from the smooth wooden floor to view Kurama. Even in the unlit area, he could see telltale signs of the boy's hesitation in his crinkled brow and tense posture.

"What's wrong?" Kurama asked.

"Can you help me with something?" Kai asked.

"Of course I can," Kurama replied easily. "What do you need?"

"I wanted to get some flowers for Botan for Mother's Day," Kai revealed. "You're really smart and you know about flowers, so I was hoping you could help me."

"That sounds like a great idea. I will be happy to assist you," Kurama answered.

Kai's expression lit up as pulled out a folded piece of paper from the oversized pockets in his cargo pants.

"I printed out a bunch of flowers that I thought looked cool," he started, unfolding the piece of paper and showing it to Kurama. "Can you tell me which ones are best?"

Kurama glanced down at the pictures momentarily, before bringing his gaze to meet Kai's.

"Why don't I take you to the flower shop tomorrow and we can make a final decision there?" he suggested instead.

A slow smile broke out on Kai's face, the paper crinkling in his hands as he clenched his fists in excitement.

"Really?" he asked, taking a step closer. "Are you sure?"

"It's no trouble at all," Kurama reassured, amusement twinkling in his emerald gaze.

Kai was grinning ear to ear now, in the same unabashed way that Botan often did.

"Thanks Kurama."

Kurama nodded in return. He was growing attached to Kai in the very same way that cared for his own stepbrother, Shuichi. It was becoming increasingly difficult to say no to the boy, and Kurama wondered if he was becoming soft now that he was approaching the end of his twenties. He shook his head; it didn't matter. There were far worse things he could do.

The following day he had picked Kai up before noon. Botan waved at them as they departed, telling them to have fun at the library. Kurama arched a brow and Kai bit his lip.

"I felt a little bad lying to her, but I hope she won't mind," Kai confessed.

"I'm sure she will understand," Kurama replied.

The flower shop was about a twenty-minute walk away, so they decided to take advantage of the spring weather. Sakura blossoms lined the streets and blew in the wind, creating a picturesque scene. Kai chattered away about school and his mini adventures with Botan and Kurama listened intently. He certainly hadn't been this talkative when they first met, in fact, he wore that same cautious and guarded look that Hiei had when they first met. Sure enough, over time, Kai warmed up to them he had let his guard down exponentially. The blue-haired boy still had trouble asking others for favors or for help, but, as indicated by their outing today, he was not entirely opposed to it.

They stopped in front of the brick-walled storefront and Kurama opened the door, allowing Kai to enter first. The boy froze in the entrance, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar as he took in the bustling scene of customers and plants before him. Kurama supposed that the varying floral and earth scents, brightly colored plants and seemingly endless options were overwhelming at first.

"Whoa, this place is packed!"

"Last minute shopping isn't uncommon during the holidays," Kurama reminded him.

Kai's mouth was pulled into a frown.

"Do you think all the good stuff is already gone?"

"No," Kurama pacified. "The owner of this shop keeps an excellent inventory. We will still be able to find a perfect fit for Botan."

"Okay."

As they ventured further into the shop, they finally encountered the owner. Her hands and left cheek were matted with soil and her brown hair was tied into a messy bun.

"Hello Kurama, it's so good to see you again," she beamed, brown eyes shining.

"Likewise," Kurama replied. "Business seems to be going well for you, as usual."

She nodded. "Thank goodness for that. By the way, who's the little guy?"

"This is Kai. He is my friend's son and a friend of mine as well," Kurama answered, noting the way that Kai tried to bite back his smile at the sudden declaration. "Kai, Maya is a past colleague and an old friend."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kai," she said sweetly.

"Nice to meet you too," he replied.

"Is there anything I can help you two with?" she inquired, looking between the two of them as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"We're simply browsing for a Mother's Day bouquet," Kurama revealed. "I was sure that we would be able to find something suitable here."

Maya grinned proudly.

"I'm sure you will. I'll leave you two to it then," she replied. "You are the expert, after all."

Kurama smiled humbly, leading Kai towards a row of flowers on the wall. Kai's eyes widened as he took in the selection that surrounded him.

"The carnations are the traditional flower to gift during Mother's Day," Kurama advised, showing Kai the array of arrangements and bouquets.

The boy examined them for a few moments, before shaking his head.

"Do we have to get carnations or can it be something else?"

"You can choose whatever you like," Kurama advised. "It is your gift, after all. I'm sure Botan will be happy with whatever you settle on."

Kurama followed after Kai was he ventured through the area. Every now and then he would stop and survey a set of flowers, before shaking his head and continuing on. He finally stopped in front of a bright bunch of tulips and smiled.

"These are nice…" he noted, looking up at Kurama for confirmation.

"Tulips are always a great choice," Kurama commended, bending down to inspect them further. "Yellow symbolize cheerfulness, the pink symbolizes care and affection and the orange symbolizes happiness."

"Those all sound like Botan to me," Kai decided with a conclusive nod of his head.

"Yes, and they will make for a very vibrant and pleasing display."

"Do you think she'll like it?" Kai asked uncertainly.

"She will love it," Kurama guaranteed as he procured the bouquet of flowers.

They meandered past the remaining customers, picking up some balloons and chocolates that were smartly put on display for special occasions, before meeting Maya at the counter. Kai pulled out some money that Botan had given him to pay and Maya tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully as she stared back at them.

"You'll need something nice to put those flowers in," Maya decided, bending down behind the counter and disappearing from Kai's vision for a few moments. Suddenly, she re-emerged, placing a glass vase down on the counter.

"How much is it?" Kai asked.

"For you? Free of charge," she replied.

"Wow, are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Thank you."

Kurama seemed to remember something in that moment, and he looked down at Kai.

"Do you need a card?" Kurama asked, watching as Kai pocketed his change.

Kai shook his head.

"We already made some at school."

"Alright, we're just about set, then," Kurama said, looking back at Maya.

"You two have a great day," Maya said as she waved at them.

"Thank you Maya, you as well," Kurama replied.

"Thanks!" Kai called over his shoulder as they exited the shop.

The pleasant weather from earlier was fading as the sky darkened into monochromatic gray. The humidity was higher and the winds were starting to pick up.

"We had better hurry; it looks like it is going to rain soon."

"Yeah," Kai agreed, pulling the hood of his black sweater over his head with one hand and toting the bag of flowers and chocolates with the other.

Kurama had a careful grip on the balloons and the vase as together they made the return trip to Botan's apartment. It had begun to drizzle lightly halfway through their walk, but Kai seemed to enjoy the change in weather and Kurama had no complaints either.

"Thanks for taking me out today," Kai said suddenly. "You've gotta let me do something for you now. It's my duty as a man."

Kurama chuckled. Kai was definitely spending too much time with Kuwabara if he was talking like that. He wondered how Hiei would feel about this latest development and felt a shred of remorse run through him. Today's outing would have been a perfect opportunity for Hiei to step in and spend some time with his son. Kai was clearly interested in getting to know his father, but Hiei made himself completely unavailable to the boy, leaving him to hide his disappointment behind his carefully constructed guard. As Hiei's closest friend, Kurama knew of the struggles that the other man had to face and could understand why Hiei was so opposed to having children. The circumstances of Kai's birth weren't fair to any of those involved and while Botan decided to go with the flow, Hiei fought against the tide.

He did not want to push Hiei into something that he was not ready for, but he did hope that Hiei would come to his sense one day soon. Before Kai gave up on him completely.

Kurama was pulled from his thoughts when they arrived at the apartment building. Kai pushed his hood down and then retrieved a metal key from his pocket.

"Botan?" the boy called out, peeking his head inside of the apartment cautiously.

"I'll be out in a minute," came the response.

Kai grinned and took the items from Kurama, somehow managing to hold everything at once as he rushed off to his room to hide it. Kurama stood in the threshold, examining the place. It had certainly changed from the first time he saw it. There were pictures up on the wall and lain out on the table. Most of them were of Botan and Kai, but he had spotted a group picture of the entire group that was taken before Kai's arrival. He smiled, remembering how hard it had been to get Hiei to agree to take the photo with them. Emerald eyes roamed over to the fridge, where Kai's assignments had been proudly displayed with colorful magnets. Books that undoubtedly belonged to Kai were strewn about the place. It certainly felt more like a warm and inviting home now.

"Why are you standing all the way over there? Come on in," Botan urged, coming into view.

Her hair was in a simple braid now, hanging over her left shoulder as she waved him inside.

"I simply didn't want to intrude," he replied, stepping into the apartment as instructed.

"Don't be silly, we're friends aren't we?" she grinned.

"Of course."

"It was really sweet of you to take Kai out, by the way," Botan mentioned. "I think he really enjoys spending time with you guys."

 _Especially since Hiei is never around_. The unspoken words hung in the air, but he could hear them clearly.

"It's no trouble," Kurama guaranteed. "I like spending time with him too."

"We were just going to order some takeout and watch some movies. You're free to join us, if you'd like," Botan offered.

"I'll have to take a rain check on that," he said. "I promised Shuichi that we would meet up today."

"Okay then. Next time."

Kurama nodded as Kai reemerged from his room.

"Thanks again Kurama," Kai said.

"Anytime," he replied, before taking his leave.

* * *

The next morning Botan was abruptly awoken by the sound of her ringtone. She groaned and reached a hand out towards her nightstand, blindly fumbling around until she managed to locate her phone. She didn't even bother to see who the caller was as she brought the device to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered groggily, eyes still lidded and heavy with sleep.

" _Why am I hearing from Yusuke of all people that you have a son?"_

Botan winced, pulling her ear away from the phone as Koenma continued to berate her in that high-pitched tone of his. Had she really forgotten to inform him? As he continued to give her an earful, she realized that she did. She really screwed up this time, but it wasn't intentional. She had been meaning to tell Koenma about everything, and then life had gotten in the way. She was also a teensy bit of afraid of his reaction; he was her oldest and dearest friend, after all.

"Now, don't take it personally Koenma, it was an honest oversight."

" _An oversight?"_ he repeated, outraged.

"It's just… things have been happening so quickly. I didn't have the chance to keep in touch with you and well, I goofed," she replied. "But you know that I would've told you first if you were around."

" _Hmph… you're lucky I'm not the type to hold a grudge,"_ he replied.

"Really?" she accused, brow arching in disbelief. "For someone who never holds a grudge, you sure do remember an awful lot about my misgivings. Like the time I accidentally lost your pacifier all those years ago."

" _Well, that was just plain irresponsible of you."_

"We were five years old! It was high time someone got rid of it!"

" _You're diverting,"_ he accused.

"I'm sorry, Koenma. I really am," she apologized.

" _I know you are, I just like giving you a hard time,"_ he replied. _"But, to be honest, I'm more shocked than anything. Yusuke already filled me in on everything – including who the father is and how it all went down."_

"I know, it sounds impossible, doesn't it?" she said with a heavy sigh. "But, ignoring all of that, Kai is the sweetest boy. I'll have to send you and Hinageshi some photos. I know you two will love him."

" _I'm sure we will,"_ Koenma agreed. _"I do want to meet him, but with work and the wedding coming soon, my schedule is pretty booked."_

"I completely understand. Speaking of, Kai will have to be my plus one."

" _No problem,"_ Koenma answered. There was some commotion on his end of the line and he returned to the conversation. _"I've got to go, but this isn't over."_

"Alright, we'll chat later."

" _Oh, and Happy Mother's Day."_

She froze for a moment. She didn't even realize that it was Mother's Day until now.

"Thanks Koenma," she replied.

" _Later."_

The line went dead and Botan placed her phone back on her nightstand. She could hear the signs of life outside of her room and she figured that Kai was already up. He was the complete opposite of her in that sense. Despite her cheery persona, she was not a morning person. She had half a mind to throw the covers over her head and fall back asleep, but then she decided against it. Dragging herself over to the bathroom, she completed her morning routine and threw some cold water on her face in order to rid herself of the last dregs of sleep. She let out a yawn and stretched as she walked over to the living room, freezing immediately at the sight. There was a glass vase full of colorful tulips on the table and balloons attached to the small chairs surrounding the kitchen table. Kai had just finished tying the last balloon when his attention snapped to her.

"Happy Mother's Day," Kai greeted.

"Oh my," Botan said, a hand lain flat against her chest as she took in the entire sight. "This is all so sweet of you."

He grabbed something from the table and held it out in front of her.

"Um… I also made this for you… at school."

Botan accepted the card with a grateful smile.

"Mrs. Yoshida made all of us draw pictures of our mothers, but I'm not really good at drawing," he revealed, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "It's okay if you want to throw it away."

"Of course not, I love it," Botan replied. "I'll keep it forever."

Kai ducked his head in embarrassment.

"When did you even manage to get all of this?" Botan asked in wonder.

"Kurama took me yesterday," he replied. "I kept it a secret because I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, it certainly worked. I didn't expect any of this."

Kai perked up.

"I can make you breakfast, too, if you want," he added.

"You can cook?" Botan blinked in surprise. Even though they had been together for a month, Botan still found new things to learn about him every day.

"Cereal and sandwiches," he replied proudly.

"Cereal sounds great."

She read the card over again as Kai went to procure the bowls and spoons. An array of emotions welled up as her eyes took in the sight of his handwriting and the carefully drawn picture he had drafted. She really didn't understand what she was signing up for when she decided to adopt Kai, but she was getting more than she deserved with him. She loved him more and more each day and she didn't think there would ever be a limit to how much she could care for him.

"Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" Kai asked, concern covering his features as he stared back at her.

"Of course I'm okay, why would you ask that?"

"You're crying."

She suddenly became aware of how blurry her vision was and she wiped away the tears that had already stained her cheeks.

"I'm just happy is all," she explained, a bit embarrassed at her emotional state. "I know that I'm lacking in many areas, but I'll keep working hard until I'm the best mom for you. I promise."

"You don't have to change… I like you just the way you are," Kai confessed, before realizing what he had said. "I mean… I… um…"

As he fumbled over his words, Botan pulled him into her embrace.

"I love you," she said, for the first time since he had arrived.

He didn't immediately answer back, but he did pull away.

"…Really?" he asked, needing some sort of confirmation as he searched her expression.

"Yes, really. I really, really, love you."

The corners of his mouth lifted upwards into one of the most sincere expressions she had ever seen from him.

"I love you too," he answered quietly.

They exchanged a warm smile, before Botan blinked back more tears of joy.

"Well, that was a very emotional start to my day, not that I'm complaining," she announced, throwing her hands on her hips.

Kai let out an embarrassed laugh, the tips of his ears going red.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Botan propped an elbow up on the table and rested her cheek in her as she watched Kai turn towards the fridge to procure the milk. He was such a great kid and he seemed to be coping with Hiei's absence better than Hiei himself. She remembered just how troubled the man seemed two days ago when she had encountered him at the bar. He was wrestling with his own decision and she could almost sense the unease radiating off of him. She had no intentions of pushing Kai onto him, but she did encourage him to stop by again. He probably wouldn't, but she felt as though she owed it to Kai to remind Hiei that the door was always open.

* * *

Kai listened in to Botan's phone call, a frown on his face the entire time.

The day had started off so well, too. Mrs. Yoshida helped him find some awesome books, he and Amanuma broke their personal running records during gym class and then in the afternoon, they participated in a cool science activity involving microscopes and microorganisms. He had come home expecting to find Botan typing away on her laptop, but instead she was running around frantically. She was wearing a dress, which could only mean she had another interview. He watched with mild curiosity as she attempted to pull on some stockings while simultaneously chatting through the phone which was nestled between her ear and her shoulder.

"Hiei? I'm really sorry to do this, but I've got a follow-up interview in fifteen minutes and no one to watch Kai," Botan said. "Can you please watch him for an hour or so?"

Kai couldn't hear the response, but he was sure that it was negative.

"Yusuke didn't answer, Kuwabara and Yukina are already out, Shizuru's at the office, working on another complicated case and Kurama's gone to visit his mother in another town," Botan explained. "Please, just help me this once."

There was silence for a few moments, until Botan let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much! I'll be there with him soon."

"I can stay home alone," Kai reminded her, for what felt like the thousandth time.

"That's illegal."

"No one will know."

"Still, I'd feel much better if you were with an adult," Botan said.

"But does it have to be Hiei?"

"Everyone else is busy. He was the only one I could call on such short notice."

"Hiei doesn't even like me," he complained.

"That's not true at all!" Botan defended.

"Isn't it?"

"No, in fact, Hiei is the only reason that I was able to adopt you in the first place."

Kai's distress was replaced with shock, eyes widening in disbelief

"Really?"

"Yes, he was the one who agreed on joint custody and decided to help out financially," Botan revealed. "Without him, you wouldn't be with me today."

"I didn't know that," Kai frowned.

Botan bent down so that she was at eye-level with him. She gave him a sympathetic smile as she straightened out the collar of his shirt and fixed his ruffled hair.

"I know that he isn't the easiest person to deal with, but he is your father," she reminded him. "You two just need some time to get to know each other better, and maybe today will be good for the both of you."

"I guess," Kai relented.

"That's the spirit," Botan grinned, standing up again and extending her hand to him.

He took her hand without hesitation and they began to the quick trek to Hiei's place. Botan had struck up a conversation to ease his mind and before he knew it, they were already at Hiei's apartment. Hiei greeted them in his usual gruff style and before Kai knew it, Botan was giving him a kiss on the cheek and out of the door. Kai turned to look at Hiei, not knowing what to do or say in this situation. Thankfully, Hiei was the first to act.

"There's food in the fridge and plenty of mind numbing entertainment on the television. I have work to do and I do not want to be disturbed, unless it's an emergency," Hiei instructed.

"Okay," Kai answered, already used to all sorts of abrupt personalities from his time in the orphanage and foster home.

He watched as Hiei walked out of sight before settling into the black leather couch. Hiei's place was a lot bigger than Botan's and it had a whole lot of cool things, too. He picked up the remote control from the glass table and turned on the television, browsing the channels until he found an anime that he liked. A few minutes into the show, the phone nearest to him rang. Kai let it continue to ring a few more times before he picked it up with a sigh.

"Hiei's house," Kai answered.

 _"Uh, is Hiei around?"_ a male voice asked.

"He _'doesn't want to be disturbed'_ right now. Can I take a message?"

 _"Sure, would you tell him-"_

The phone was pulled from Kai's grip and he found himself on the receiving end of an irritated crimson glare.

"What is it?" Hiei asked curtly as he turned to walk out of the room.

 _"Who was the kid?"_ a teasing voice filtered through the receiver.

Kai was curious to hear what Hiei would be telling people about him, so he lowered the volume on the television and listened intently as Hiei exited the room.

"None of your concern."

Kai couldn't say that he was expecting for Hiei to proclaim to the world that he had a son, but it was still a little disheartening that he was keeping it a secret. The other man must have still been prying because he heard Hiei sigh. There was silence for a while until Hiei finally spoke again.

"He's nobody important."

The phrase echoed in Kai's mind, killing his mood instantly. He knew that Hiei didn't like him, but to hear a verbal confirmation of just how little he mattered to his own father hurt the boy more than he wanted to admit. He hit the power button on the remote control and slid off of the couch numbly. The last thing he wanted to do was be a burden for someone else. His pride wouldn't allow that. The rejection he had experienced in the past was slowly creeping up on him and embracing him like an old, unwanted friend and he needed to get away. Glancing back towards the direction of Hiei's office one final time, he shook his head and then trudged out of the door.

The public playground was littered with people today and Kai decided to sit on a bench and watch them. He didn't feel like being completely alone and found some comfort in watching the others interact happily. He watched as a father helped his son on the monkey bars longingly, before shaking his head. He had Botan. She was enough. He even had all of her friends and they were great. But as much as he hated to admit it, he wished that Hiei would accept him too.

He wiped a tear that had fallen and blinked back the others that threatened to follow. He hated the fact that he was so weak when it came to this. Many people had rejected him over the years and he coped with it easily. He was in a better place now and he couldn't afford to be so selfish. He had everything he needed and he had to come to terms with the fact that things with Hiei wouldn't get better.

* * *

Hiei only returned to the living room when he realized how suspiciously quiet it was. The television was off and he frowned when he saw the empty couch. It no longer housed the imprint of Kai's small body on it, meaning the kid hadn't been here in a while. He stalked over to the kitchen, wondering if Kai had decided to get a snack and his frown deepened at the sight of another vacant room. His blood ran cold when his search of the bathroom, guest room and his bedroom bore no results.

He cursed angrily and stormed out of the apartment. The child could be anywhere. He could be hurt. He could be in danger. Hiei cursed again in frustration. This was exactly why he did not want to get involved. Even if he disregarded the events that had happened in his past, personality wise, he wasn't cut out to be a father. He wasn't kind, encouraging or attentive. Children needed to be coddled and loved and Hiei wasn't capable of either. He crossed the streets, looking for a shock of blue hair and clenching his teeth when his search came up empty.

His eyes landed on the playground within the distance. Kai had gone there the last time Hiei hurt him. It was a shot in the dark, but it was all that he had. Hiei passed through the jungle gym and his heart stopped at the sight of the blue haired boy sitting on one of the benches, a sullen look on his face. Hiei followed Kai's gaze and found that it rested on a father and child near the monkey bars. The longing in those candy colored eyes was hard to ignore but Hiei was too pissed to feel sympathetic.

"You have some explaining to do," Hiei said angrily, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"...What are you doing here?" Kai asked defensively. "I'm surprised you'd come all the way out here for a _'nobody'_ like me."

Kai's tone was vaguely familiar and Hiei immediately understood. That one careless word did enough damage to bother the child. He had only said it to get Haru off of his back, but in hindsight, he could have been a bit more sensitive. Even so, that did not excuse Kai's reckless behavior of storming out and going off on his own. Hiei steeled his gaze as he looked down at the boy.

"I'm responsible for you and as such, you had no right to storm out without asking my permission. You gave up all rights to your freedom when you decided to barge into our lives, kid. You can't do whatever you like anymore."

"I get it... you don't want anything to do with me," Kai said, looking away. "So just leave me alone."

"Don't test me," Hiei warned.

"I can take care of myself until Botan gets back," Kai asserted, glaring up at Hiei. "She won't have to know a thing."

He stood up from the bench and made to move, but all Hiei needed was one well placed hand on his small shoulder and the boy was halted. The distrust and coldness reflected in Kai's eyes was not something that Hiei wanted to see. He had stayed away to prevent this from occurring and the moment he was in charge of the boy, this happened. He had screwed up, but it wasn't too late. He could fix things.

"What are you doing?" Kai asked angrily.

"I'm taking you back. You're not going to stay in the park unsupervised."

"What does it matter to you?" the boy retorted, struggling under Hiei's grip. "Just let me go."

"No son of mine is going to loiter around like a homeless child."

Kai stopped all signs of struggle and looked up at Hiei, the shock evident by his expression. He could see the boy processing the words and realizing Hiei's intent. After a few moments, he nodded obediently.

"Okay," he relented and Hiei released his hold.

The two exited the park in a heavy and edgy silence. Hiei was never one for apologies or small talk, so he remained silent. Kai continued shooting curious glances in his direction when he thought Hiei was not paying attention and it looked as though the boy wanted to say something, but he too stayed silent. The sound of a cheery melody playing in the air diverted both of their attentions and Hiei spotted an ice cream truck parked a few yards away. Kai's eyes brightened as his small hands went to his pockets, but his expression dampened and shoulders slumped when his search came up empty. He looked at Hiei and then pursed his lips shut, before averting his gaze.

Hiei did say he would help out financially and so he retrieved his wallet from his back pocket and gave the boy a couple of bills wordlessly. Kai was reluctant to accept, but his resolve shattered the moment he saw a young girl pass by with her ice cream in tow. The brightest smile adorned his face and he ran off into the direction of the truck. As Hiei watched Kai scamper off, he frowned. For all the kid's bravado and intelligence, he really was just a child. He returned to Hiei's side with two cones and pushed one out in front of Hiei, the frown on his face undermined by the slight blush dusting across his cheeks.

"Here," Kai said shyly. "One for you."

Hiei looked down at the item and shook his head.

"I don't eat sweet things."

"Oh..."

Something tinged in Hiei's chest when the boy's face fell in disappointment, so he took the ice cream cone from the small grip regardless of the fact that he's never been a fan of sweets. Purple eyes landed on Hiei expectantly and rested there until Hiei took a quick taste. It wasn't that bad, and Kai seemed to agree as he licked his own ice cream happily. Pacifying the boy wasn't so hard, but it was even easier to let him down and fail him.

" _Trying is half the battle…"_

Botan's words echoed in his mind and he realized that he hadn't even tried to be a father to the boy. He had just decided that it would be best to bow out and avoid Kai entirely. But avoidance was not Hiei's style. He faced every situation head on and this one shouldn't have been any different. Perhaps the others had been right all along and he was too blinded by his own stubbornness to see the truth. Perhaps he owed it to Kai, to his son, to try.

They re-entered the apartment and Kai took up his position on the couch.

"I won't leave again," Kai promised. "I'll stay here until Botan comes back, so you can go back to your work."

There was no malice or resentment in Kai's statement and Hiei was completely free to return to the endless amounts of paperwork that covered the workstation in bedroom. But he lingered there, watching as Kai turned on the television and sunk into the couch. He should have left, but there was an insistent nagging voice that remained in his mind, telling him to stay. Kuwabara and Yusuke's advice returned to him with startling clarity and suddenly, it all seemed so simple. Hiei crossed over to the living area and sat down on the couch wordlessly, ignoring the way that Kai's eyes widened in shock.

He didn't know the first thing about raising a child, but he did know all about honoring his duty to his family.

All he had to do was be there for the child.

That's all there was to it.

* * *

Finally, Hiei takes the plunge into fatherhood and decides to be more involved. In the next chapter, we will see him sticking to his decision and trying to do right by Kai. We will also have some more H/B interaction, so I hope you are all looking forward to it!

Also, just wanted to give a huge huge huge thank you to those of you who have reviewed so far. Starting an AU story with one of the major characters being an OC was pretty daunting for me, but I'm so happy that you all are enjoying it. Your reviews are what motivate me to keep writing, especially since the fandom has died down and it feels like we're the only ones around.

Thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7

Happy Birthday LonelyDreamer7~ Hope you have an amazing time, my friend!

* * *

Kai was wholly surprised when Hiei decided to join him on the couch, rather than returning to his room to complete his work like before. When he left the apartment earlier, he never expected that Hiei would even bother to look for him and he certainly did not expect for him to insist that Kai return with him. Most shocking of all was the fact that Hiei had called him his son. Kai could still hear Hiei's voice clearly in his mind, low and filled with something that the young boy could not quite identify. Hiei's usually proud stance was rigid and tense, but his gaze rested solely on Kai as he said those startling words. Hiei hardly looked at him during those rare times that they were together, so to hear and see the taciturn man acknowledge him as his son was shocking, to say the least.

Well, it shocking to him, but he had a feeling that Yukina wouldn't be surprised. She had always told Kai that all Hiei needed was time. She really believed in her brother and in the end she was right to do so. Even Botan had defended Hiei, although Kai could never see why, until now. She said that there was more to him than what appeared on the surface and she was right.

They were both right.

Kai was starting to think that it was up to him to bridge the gap between himself and Hiei and he was confident that he could do it. Things had changed after living with Botan; he had changed. He learned that there were people in this world that he could trust and rely on. He even made his very first friend upon Botan's instructions to let down his guard and reach out to someone with something as simple as friendliness. It worked with his best friend, Amanuma, and it worked with all of Botan's friends, too. He could try and do the same for Hiei.

Kai glanced at him from the corner of his eye and nodded his head resolutely. He could do this.

"Hiei?" he started.

The older man turned his head slightly to view Kai. The way those focused and sharp crimson eyes rested on him caused the boy to lose his courage. Kai wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, but Hiei was kind of intimidating.

"What is it?" Hiei asked after some time of silence.

Kai gulped. He couldn't do this.

"Where's your bathroom?" he asked lamely.

"First door down the hall."

"Thanks," Kai muttered, hopping off of the couch and striding down the hallway. He closed the door with a sigh. He wasn't usually this cowardly. He had faced way scarier things before, like the time the other foster kids dared him to walk through the abandoned house at the end of the block, or that time he hopped on the wrong bus and ended up in unfamiliar territory at night. This was child's play in comparison and he had long since graduated from simple child's play. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, exiting the bathroom. He looked around the hallway, noting that the door across the way was slightly ajar. It must have been Hiei's room and Kai's curiosity prompted him to step forward. It was pretty big, way bigger than his or Botan's respective rooms. The bed was huge too, but what caught Kai's attention was what rested on the nightstand to the left of his bed. Kai's eyes widened when he saw the comic book that he had given to Hiei weeks ago. It wasn't hidden in a drawer somewhere or discarded in the garbage; it was opened on a page somewhere towards the second half of the story and Kai smiled proudly. He stepped out of the room and returned to the living room, his second wind rising when he noticed that Hiei was still in his same position. There were, however, two new water bottles on the table and a snack of some sort on the table that wasn't there before. He grinned as he reclaimed his spot on the couch and saw that the documentary on elephants had ended and shifted to one about lions.

"So…" Kai started, trying his best to sound cool and casual. "What's your favorite animal?"

Hiei's response was quick and to the point, gaze fixed on the television as he spoke.

"I don't have one."

"Seriously?" Kai questioned, cocking his head to the side in suspicion. He found it extremely hard to believe that Hiei didn't have an animal that he liked a little bit more than the others. Maybe his favorite was something completely contrary to his appearance, like rabbits or hamsters. Kai had to bite back a snort at that. He really couldn't imagine Hiei around anything small and cuddly. "You seriously don't have a favorite animal?"

"I don't care for animals," he deadpanned.

"How boring," Kai muttered without thinking.

"Hn."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest stiffly and Kai quickly realized his folly; he probably shouldn't go around voicing the first thoughts that came to mind like he did when he was with the others. He grabbed the unopened bottle and took a quick sip, before returning it to its position on the glass table.

"What about your favorite color?" Kai asked instead, hoping to switch the topic quickly enough to keep Hiei engaged.

Hiei looked down at Kai, his shoulders falling from their stiffened position as he replied.

"Red."

The boy perked up and a smile stretched over his face, having successfully pulled a legitimate answer out of the man.

"That's a good choice. I like blue," Kai revealed, eager to keep the conversation going. "What about your second favorite?"

Hiei raised a brow at that.

"What's the point of a second favorite?" he asked in that classic caustic manner of his.

"I don't know… for backup?" Kai reasoned with a sheepish shrug. "Anyway, mine is green. What's yours?"

"…The same as you," Hiei admitted, gaze cast off to the side somewhere.

Kai's grin extended until he was smiling from ear to ear. He never expected that he and Hiei would have something in common, other than their weird way of grunting. He suddenly wanted to know everything he could about the man. He wanted to know it all.

"Hey, what about-"

"You don't have to bother with this," Hiei interrupted, returning his gaze to Kai.

"Huh?"

"Your habit of engaging in meaningless small talk to fill the silence," Hiei clarified.

"It's not meaningless small talk," Kai argued with a frown. "I just thought we should get to know each other."

Hiei's expression diverted from its passive state as a flicker of something unidentifiable passed through his crimson eyes.

"Why do you want to know me?" he pressed. "After what I've done, it doesn't make any sense."

Kai looked at Hiei silently. The words that formed in his mind were thick and heavy, like peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he was almost reluctant to say it out loud. But he knew that it had to be said. It looked as though Hiei needed to hear it more than anything else.

"…You're my dad," he stated softly. "That's why."

Kai bit his lip and looked away, feeling the signs of an embarrassed blush starting to heat his cheeks. It was so much easier talking to Botan and telling her how he felt. But for some reason, the challenge only made Kai want to try harder.

"There isn't much you need to know about me," Hiei started, breaking the uneasy silence. "But if you insist on learning more, then I suppose I shouldn't discourage you."

Kai's entire demeanor brightened at the startling response. His brows lifted and eyes widened as he tried to contain his obvious contentment.

"You mean it?" Kai asked.

"Hn."

"Okay," he nodded, unable to wipe the grin off of his face.

This was good, he decided. This was a start.

* * *

Botan resisted the urge to fidget in her seat, trying to appear as calm and collected as possible as the editor for the local newspaper sat down in front of her. The office was well lit and spacious and the general atmosphere seemed to be relaxed and laid-back. She had half expected everyone to be stressing or running around complaining about deadlines, but it was the complete opposite. The editor, Koto, took a seat in front of Botan. There was a pen tucked behind her short, brown hair and she held a file in her hands.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet again. I'm very interested in the adoption piece that you submitted," Koto started.

Botan blinked in confusion.

"Adoption piece?"

"The one about a boy named Kai. Is that fiction or did you draw from your personal life?"

Botan's eyes widened in realization. She must have accidentally submitted her personal journal file. Writing was always an outlet that she could rely on during hard times and when she learned she had a son, she decided to document the entire journey.

"Um, it's actually taken from personal experience."

"I think this could be the makings of a great column," Koto said excitedly.

"An entire column?" Botan echoed, surprise washing over her.

"Yes, we've been looking for something new and fresh to set us apart from other publications," Koto informed. "The emotions conveyed in your writing feel very genuine and even the heavy topics are relatable without being depressing. You have quite a way of spinning things."

"Thank you," Botan said humbly, folding her hands in her lap. "To be honest, I was only writing down my immediate feelings and reactions to this sudden change in my situation."

"Wait a minute..." Koto said, realization dawning over her as she pointed a finger at Botan. "You mean this entire thing was based off of your life?"

"Guilty." Botan raised her right hand sheepishly.

Koto's teal eyes seemed to sparkle at the news.

"I thought you were writing about a friend or something, but this is even better! You'll hardly run out of source material at this rate!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"Oh, that was insensitive wasn't it?" Koto realized, reigning in her excitement. She cleared her throat, before providing a more diplomatic response. "I just meant that this would make the column more realistic and sincere. And the readers will gobble it up."

"Um... I never actually intended to publish this stuff," Botan admitted lowly, feeling a little self-conscious about it.

"You should," Koto urged. "It's really telling. Your story is one that deserves to be heard and we can always use pseudonyms for anonymity."

Botan began to consider Koto's offer. She had only interviewed at the _Tribune_ for the sake saying that she had tried. It was one of the most famous publications in the region and getting a job there was nearly impossible without lots of experience or an insane amount of talent. When Botan received the sudden call for a second interview, she was thrilled beyond belief. Even if she didn't get hired, this was an accomplishment in and of itself. They had considered her.

But now she had a chance to work there full-time. This chance was simply too good to pass up. She needed a chance and Koto was handing it to her on a silver platter.

"...I've actually been enjoying myself by documenting this new phase in my life, I just never thought I could make a living out of it," Botan confessed.

"Honey, you can make a living out of most things. It's all a matter of who you know and what they can do," Koto replied with a smirk. "The pay here is good and so are the benefits. We have a large volume of readers and this will get your name out there. The opportunities will be endless, if you decide to take the leap."

"That sounds wonderful."

"And you'd be working from home, of course, on your own schedule. So long as you can meet the deadlines, your time is mostly your own. It's pretty lucky for a new mother like yourself."

Botan nodded, excitement bubbling up within her at the prospect of landing a job as perfect as this one.

"We would really love to have you on the team," Koto concluded, handing Botan an envelope. "Our terms and proposal are all contained in there. I hope you will give it some consideration."

She accepted the file and scanned through the proposal letter. The pay was more than adequate with room for more depending on how successful her column was, the hours were flexible, benefits would be included after a few months of working and she even received paid time off and vacation.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Please give us a call when you've made your final decision," Koto instructed.

Botan shuffled the papers back inside of the manila folder, standing up to halt Koto's exit.

"That won't be necessary," Botan started. "I would be honored to become your newest columnist."

Koto smiled, stretching an extended hand out towards Botan.

"Then welcome aboard."

The women shook hands and Koto promised to call Botan with follow up information once she had been officially set up as an employee. Botan's face was beginning to hurt from grinning so much, but she really couldn't be bothered to care. She had been looking for any sort of writing gig and she just landed her very own column!

She decided to text Hiei and let him know that she was finished with the interview. She had intended to pick Kai up from Hiei's place and then return home with him, but she received a response from Hiei a few moments later. He said Hiei would drop Kai off so Botan shrugged and headed straight towards her apartment. It was a little strange that Hiei had offered to go out of his way to make things easier for her, but she was too elated to give it any further thought.

As soon as she had arrived at her apartment, she headed straight for her laptop and began working on the pieces that would soon become her column. There was so much work to be done! She needed to think of a name for it. Oh, and she needed new names for everyone else, too.

A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

She stood up and paused when she heard Kai announce that he had his own key. Pulling her glasses from her face, she rested them beside her laptop and walked further into the living area. She could barely contain her excitement as she saw Hiei and Kai enter the apartment.

"How was the interview?" Kai asked immediately.

Botan grinned widely as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You're looking at the newest columnist for the _Tribune_."

"Awesome!" Kai cheered. "I knew you could do it."

Kai's sweet sentiments were undermined by Hiei's disbelieving tone.

"They gave you an entire column for yourself?" Hiei asked.

"That's right," she said proudly. "The editor was very impressed with my work."

"Hn, they must have been desperate."

Botan's grin fell momentarily, but then she realized that the usual bite to his tone was mysteriously absent.

"You sure do have a strange way of congratulating people, Hiei," she huffed.

"That's because it wasn't congratulatory," he answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking away.

There was something strange about him today; something about his demeanor just seemed off. Her eyes roamed over his form as she tried to figure out what it was that caused the slight change.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me with that blank look on your face," he reproached.

"It's nothing," she dismissed with a shake of her head. "Anyway, thanks for your help today."

Hiei nodded.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" she offered good-naturedly.

"No, I only came to drop the boy off."

"Of course. Thanks again."

Hiei paused to glance at Kai for a moment, an unreadable look passing over his crimson eyes as he took his leave. Something was definitely on Hiei's mind, but she couldn't even begin to hazard a guess. She shrugged before turning to Kai.

"Did you enjoy yourself at Hiei's?" she asked, hoping that Hiei's gruff persona did not offend their son in any way.

"Yeah," he answered easily.

"Really?" she asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Yup," Kai confirmed with a nod of his head. "Hiei even took me to the park and we got ice cream."

Botan's eyes widened as he tried to imagine the scene in her head. As incredulous as it sounded, she was happy that it occurred. It was long overdue and Kai deserved to have some good memories associated with Hiei.

"It was nice," Kai said with a small smile on his face.

"Well, it sounds like it was a great day for the both of us," Botan concluded. "I'm really happy that things worked out nicely."

Kai grinned.

"Me too."

* * *

The workweek had passed by quickly enough and Hiei found himself outside of Botan's apartment. He had spent so much time selfishly thinking of how the thought of a son negatively impacted his life that he failed to realize how unfair this whole situation was for Kai. The boy did not ask to be brought into this world with inadequate parents and he certainly did not deserve to be disregarded time after time. None of this was Kai's fault... but Hiei had been treating him as though it were.

He spent so much time worrying about himself that he completely forgot that the boy was _his_ family and family meant something to Hiei _._ He was by no means a benevolent, compassionate or kind man, but he did have his morals. He had a duty and responsibility to his family and he had been failing miserably in the case of his own son.

Hiei realized that he simply had to make more of an effort where Kai was concerned. It was the only thing he could do now. But making a decision and actively following through with it were two very different things. He found himself hesitating in front of Botan's door. Making the first move was like crossing over an invisible barrier. Once he committed, there would be no backing out if it. He felt strangely out of place as he stood in the hallway, frozen in his spot. But this hesitation was entirely unlike him, so he pushed through the uncharacteristic uncertainty and rapped his knuckles against the door.

"Who is it?" he heard Kai call out.

"It's me," he answered.

Kai opened the door, purple eyes bright and encouraging as he beckoned Hiei inside.

"You came," he said, as though he were mysteriously expecting Hiei to show.

Hiei looked down at him.

"I did," he answered.

"I was hoping you would," Kai replied. The boy's lips extended into a warm smile as Botan made her way out of her room.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Botan announced, exiting her room wearing a pink sweater and a simple pair of jeans. "It's great to see you, but we were just on our way out."

"Do you want to come with us?" Kai asked, looking up at Hiei with an eager expression.

Botan seemed flabbergasted at Kai's request, her mouth falling open as her amethyst orbs bounced between them. Hiei supposed that her shock was warranted. Up until a few days ago, Kai had been reserved around Hiei and he would have never thought to invite him to anything. It was strange how one simple act, one simple decision, had changed everything.

"I doubt Hiei would want to sit through a children's movie," Botan started, most likely trying to help Hiei out while simultaneously letting Kai down easily. "He probably-"

"I have nothing better to do," Hiei interrupted. He noticed the way that Kai's grin widened until his teeth were visible and realized that although it was a small gesture, he was moving towards the right direction.

"That's…" Botan seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment, before snapping out of it with a shake of her head. "That's really great to hear."

Kai nodded in agreement.

"I'll be ready in two seconds!" he announced as he ran to his room.

Botan watched him skitter away fondly and then turned her attentions towards Hiei.

"Kai said he had a good time with you the other day," she recalled casually.

"He did?" Hiei probed, completely taken aback by Botan's statement. He could not understand why Kai would say something so contrary to what had actually happened.

"Yes, he said you even took him to the park and got him ice cream," she said. "I almost didn't believe him when he said it. I figured you would just throw him in front of the television and let him occupy himself for the entire time."

Hiei ignored the fact that that was exactly what he had done before things went sour.

"That's all he said?" Hiei asked.

"Yes," Botan answered, before frowning. "Why? Did something else happen?"

"No," he lied.

Kai chose that moment to return, a dark blue hooded sweater thrown over his black t-shirt and his hair looking more presentable. Much like Hiei's own hair, Kai's had always given off the wild and unruly appearance, but the boy must have run a comb through it because it looked a little tamer now.

"Ready?" Botan asked.

"Yup," he replied.

"We'll take my car," Hiei said, not bothering to wait for a reaction as he exited the apartment. He decided that he would become more involved and he meant it. He could not afford to go back on his word so quickly, even if it meant that he had to sit through an hour and a half of a children's movie. The trio loaded into his car and, with little to no traffic crowding the streets, made it to the theater within twenty minutes. Hiei dropped Botan and Kai off at the front entrance and by the time he had parked and entered, the two were already on the ridiculously long line for snacks. The place reeked of greasy and buttery popcorn and the carpeted floor was sticky in some places. Hiei grimaced as he waded through the crowd of people until he was at Botan's side.

"There you are, we were just figuring out what to order," Botan informed.

"Nachos for me!" he answered, raising his hand excitedly.

"What about you?" Botan asked.

"I can order and pay for myself," Hiei replied.

"Nonsense, tonight is my treat," Botan insisted.

He opened his mouth to protest, but the woman was quicker.

"Come now, you're not too prideful to accept a simple gesture from a friend, are you?"

"Friends?"

"I told you that I wasn't going to stop trying to be your friend and I meant it," she said, before looking over at Kai. "If you can't do it for me, then at least do it for him."

He followed her gaze until he found Kai, who was busy looking at the cutouts of movie characters to pay attention to anything else. He understood Botan's sentimentality, but this wasn't just as simple matter of pride. It was a matter of preference.

"I don't eat theater food," he answered finally.

"What about the prepackaged sweets, then?"

"I don't like sweets either."

"Something to drink?"

"Not thirsty."

"You will be after a few handfuls of delicious, buttery popcorn," she baited. "It's a must for the movies, you know."

"Fine, woman," he relented, upon realizing that she would not stop until she had accomplished her goal. "Do what you want."

Botan grinned and proceeded to order for the three of them. Everything was ridiculously overpriced and all of the options were greasy, cheesy, buttery or loaded with sugar. Hiei hid his disgust behind his emotionless guard as Botan passed him a water bottle. She tried to get him something to eat, but he declined and she eventually gave up. Once their order had been fulfilled and Botan and Kai's cups were filled with fountain drinks, they handed their tickets over to the bored looking teenager manning the entryway to the various rooms. They were in room number four and had arrived just in time to see the previews. Hiei found some consolation in the fact that he was at the end of the row, with Kai seated beside him and Botan flanking the boy's other side. He turned off the sound on his cellphone and pocketed it, before glancing over at Kai. It was hard to ignore the animated way the child reacted to the many previews that showed before the featured movie.

"Is this your first time going to the movies?" Botan asked.

"It's my second time, but it's my first time going with you guys," he answered, before taking a long sip of his soda.

Hiei tore his gaze away from them and returned his attentions to the movie screen. As much as he hated outings like this, he was starting to realize exactly how much of an impact it would leave on the boy. It was necessary that he showed up, in the same way that it was necessary that he be there for Yukina during outings at the bar or wherever else they frequented. The movie wasn't as terrible as he thought it would be and there were even some harmless jokes inserted for the sake of the adults who would undoubtedly be roped into accompanying their children to view it.

Halfway through the show, Kai had gotten a hold of the large bag of popcorn and left it to rest on his lap. The bag nearly dwarfed the boy in size, but he didn't seem to mind as he munched away at the snack contentedly. Hiei had admittedly gotten bored, needing something to wake him up. He reached over to retrieve some popcorn and froze when his fingers brushed against Botan's. She immediately recoiled her hand, allowing Hiei to get his fill first. Kai was oblivious to the entire exchange and Hiei pretended that he couldn't see the way Botan blushed under the darkness of the room. She was such a perplexing woman, sometimes brash and loud and other times quiet and meek. He didn't think he would ever fully understand her, but he didn't necessarily have to. The strange coexistence that they had adapted to was enough for now.

Eventually the movie ended and they began following the crowds towards the exit. The general consensus of the other moviegoers seemed to be positive as they left with contented expressions and murmurs of the movie's amusing storyline.

"Did you all like it?" Botan asked, dumping her tray into the garbage as they finally made their way out of the room and into the main area.

"It was really good," Kai grinned. "I hope they make a sequel."

"Me too," Botan agreed.

They both looked towards Hiei expectantly.

"It was horrible," Hiei answered bluntly. "I find it hard to believe that you two really found enjoyment out of something that bizarre."

"Well excuse us for having a little fun, mister grumpy pants," Botan retorted, walking out of the door that Hiei had held open for her and Kai.

Kai snorted behind his hand but did not say anything as he followed Botan out of the theater. The sun had set and the temperature had dropped by the time they returned outside. Botan wrapped her arms around herself as the wind ruffled through her hair, but Kai seemed to be just as unaffected by the weather as Hiei was. As they walked along the sidewalk, Kai paused to press his hands up against the glass windows of one of the storefronts. Hiei followed the boy's gaze until he found what was so interesting.

"Can we go? Just for a little bit?" Kai asked Botan hopefully.

"...Uh," Botan started, looking over at Hiei.

He hated arcades, but he made it this far and he might as well see the day to its end.

"Do what you want," Hiei replied monotonously.

Kai wasted no time running inside and he and Botan followed behind him. The place was even worse than the movie theater: bright, loud and reeked of stale popcorn and sweets. Hiei grimaced at the sight of children running and hollering wildly as their parents tried to control them. There was a decent amount of teens scattered around the area as well, making just as much of a ruckus as the children. Perhaps he should have ducked out early, he thought as he watched Botan purchase a decent amount of tokens for Kai. The boy accepted it gratefully and ran off to play as many games as he could, while Hiei trailed behind uninterestedly. He found an empty space near one of the unoccupied machines and leaned against the wall quietly. He unlocked his cellphone and searched through the messages, noting that he had received a few emails from works and some bothersome texts from Yusuke to join them at the bar. Ignoring it, he returned his phone to his pants' pocket and looked to see that Kai had already started on a new game. As he was busy bopping the heads of the gophers, Hiei noticed Botan sneakily helping him out by hitting a few with her hand.

"I didn't take you for one who broke rules, woman," he told her.

"It's for a good cause," she supported with an easy shrug. "Besides, these games are rigged anyway. I'm simply leveling the playing field."

"That sounds like something Yusuke would say," he noted.

"I suppose I learned from the best then," she replied with a wink.

Their attentions were diverted as the machine began to play a short melody, indicating that the game was over. Kai let out a sound of wonder as he took in the amount of tickets he received from his high score and Botan smiled over at Hiei cheekily.

"See?" she defended, motioning over at Kai's ecstatic expression. "Completely worth it."

"Hn."

The two then followed Kai as he hopped into the seat of a racing game. The screen clearly said two players and Kai twisted around in his seat to give Botan a pleading look.

"Do you want to play?" he asked.

The woman hesitated.

"My skills are pretty rusty. In fact, it's been a few years since I've driven at all," she revealed, before throwing her gaze in Hiei's direction. "Why don't you test your skills against a certified driver?"

"Woman..." he gritted through clenched teeth.

Kai looked up at Hiei expectantly.

"You wanna?"

"Go on, Hiei," she urged. "Show him how it's done. Unless you're scared."

"Don't be juvenile, woman. Taunting me like a child won't make me play."

"What about asking politely?" Kai wondered.

They both looked down at him in confusion.

"I read it in a book of persuasion."

"... I should really monitor what he reads from now on," Botan muttered.

"It would make me happy if you competed against me," Kai said, in what was clearly a textbook structured sentence.

Hiei looked between the two and sighed inwardly. The things he did for family.

"Only because the boy asked with maturity and intelligence, unlike you," he replied.

Botan stuck her tongue out childishly as Hiei took his seat beside Kai. He never cared about video games and arcades like many others of his generation. This would be his first and last. Luckily, none of the others were here to see him stooping so low.

"Ready to lose, Hiei?" Kai teased with a determined smirk.

Hiei wasn't planning on going easy on the boy, but now he had no intentions of being merciful either. Kai seemed to possess the same overconfident air that Hiei himself had owned. Although it had faded somewhat over the years, it was still there under the surface and Hiei could not resist the challenge. He followed Kai's movements and selected a suitable looking car. Neon colored numbers flashed on the screen and the race commenced. Hiei's features immediately twisted into an irritated scowl; the blasted game was nothing like real life driving. The controls were completely off and Kai was privy to some sort of secret that made his car go much faster than Hiei's. The older man frowned as Kai's blue car raced ahead of his red one.

"Go Kai!" Botan cheered from behind them, apparently enjoying being a spectator.

Hiei had pressed his foot against the feeble metal pedal in an attempt to make his car go faster, but it was futile. He was too far behind to catch up now.

"Wow, you really suck at this," Kai said bluntly, as he crossed the finish line.

"I don't have time to hone my skills on trivial games," Hiei countered agitatedly. "My ambitions lie beyond the realms of silly pastimes and hobbies."

"Do you want me to teach you how to play anyway?" Kai offered affably, ignoring Hiei's last statement entirely as he retrieved his winning tickets from the dispenser.

"No. This doesn't rank high on my list of priorities," Hiei declined evenly.

"Oh, well, if you ever want to learn..." Kai trailed off.

Hiei was just about to exit the seat, when Botan stepped between the space between himself and Kai.

"I kind of want to try," Botan started. Her expression became increasingly more interested in the idea of playing the game as she continued. "It looked fun! And if you beat Hiei so easily, then maybe I can, too."

"Don't count on it, woman," he responded, leaning back in his seat and wordlessly accepting her challenge. Kai might have been good at the game because he had experience in it, but there was no way that the woman would beat him. She even said herself that she hadn't driven a car in years. Game or not, there was no way that she could best him when it came to driving.

Botan grinned at him mischievously as she took Kai's spot. The boy inserted some coins into the machine and the game restarted itself. He heard Kai listing off tips to her and he gripped the steering wheel harder as she passed ahead of him with that silly looking pink automobile. A few moments later, her car zoomed past the white finish line and she let out a victorious cheer. She was in the middle of collecting her tickets when Hiei frowned at her.

"You cheated," Hiei accused matter-of-factly.

"I did not!"

"And what do you suppose having the boy whispering in your ear constitutes as?"

"Kai graciously offered to help you, but you were too prideful to accept his assistance," Botan retorted with a huff.

Kai watched the entire exchange, purple eyes sparkling with amusement before he put some more tokens in the slot.

"You guys should have a rematch!" he suggested, looking between them amusedly.

Hiei's grip tightened on the undoubtedly germ infested steering wheel, eyes steeled on the screen in wordless acceptance.

"I'm in," Botan said as she mirrored his actions.

She proceeded to pick that same, ugly pink car as before and Hiei paused to consider his options. Maybe he was going about this whole thing wrong. His gaze flitted to Kai before returning to the screen.

"Come over here," Hiei instructed.

Kai immediately understood and skittered over to Hiei's side, pointing to the black car.

"That one's the fastest," Kai said.

"Aw, no! Don't help him!" Botan bemoaned, pouting over at them.

"Sorry… but it's only fair," Kai shrugged sympathetically as the race began.

Kai had informed Hiei of the turbo controls and strange boosts on the field that helped Hiei's car gain the advantage over Botan and this time, he was the first to cross over the finish line. She had been trailing closely behind him the entire time, though, and one simple mistake would have had her claiming the victory again.

"Good job, Hiei!" Kai cheered, patting a hand on his shoulder before looking over at Botan. "You did really well too. You were this close to winning."

Despite losing, she was grinning.

"I guess even a lost cause like Hiei can learn from the right instructor," she teased with a wink.

Hiei glared at her, ready to shoot out a response when Kai soon became distracted by another game, causing Botan to follow after him. He paused to take his tickets and pocketed them before watching them from a distance. Kai was excused on account of being a child, but Botan was every bit as excited as he was to try the different games out. He had even succumbed to it a bit. He supposed that there were worse things he could do as he finally rejoined them.

* * *

Botan had easily lost track of time at the arcade. Kai was an expert at the racing games, she had learned that she had a natural talent for the fighting games and Hiei was a natural at any of the games that required expert hand-eye coordination. Nothing beat the look of pure joy and contentment on Kai's face as he had the time of his life and Botan wanted to remember it forever. He was like a completely different boy after a few weeks of living together. He became far more expressive and did not work to hide behind an indifferent mask. He expressed his happiness, interest and amuse with ease. It was still a little bit difficult for him to completely loosen the reigns and give up most of his independence, but he had trusted Botan completely. He let her do many things for him and he was not entirely opposed to asking for help anymore. Most shockingly of all, he had made an effort where Hiei was concerned. She didn't know what happened between the two when she had asked Hiei to watch Kai a few days ago, but it was enough to bring them closer together than they had ever been. They were both clearly trying and Botan was glad that things had worked out favorably for all of them.

"Let's go exchange our tickets for prizes," Kai proposed, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Oh, you should take our tickets," Botan offered, handing hers over to Kai.

But Kai refused with a shake of his head.

"You won them fair and square," Kai refused. "You should get something for yourselves."

He was so independent and fair-minded. It was really admirable.

"Okay," Botan agreed as they stepped towards the counter. "Are there any prizes you've got your eye on?"

"Yeah," he answered with a secretive smile. "You?"

"I want the panda keychain."

"What about you, Hiei?" Kai asked.

Hiei stared back at them impassively.

"Nothing."

She had suspected as much as they turned to face the freckled boy behind the counter.

"What'll it be folks?" he asked in a cheery voice.

"Can I have three bracelets?" Kai asked, holding out his tickets.

The worker counted the amount of tickets and gave Kai an impressed look.

"With this many tickets, you can have the entire pack kiddo," he announced, reaching over to retrieve the requested gift. He passed it along to Kai's open and awaiting hands. "Here you go little buddy."

"Thanks!" Kai replied. He quickly unwrapped the plastic packaging and pulled out two specific bracelets, before holding them out in front of him.

"For us?" Botan blinked, looking down at the solid purple and red bracelets.

"Bingo," Kai answered.

"That's so sweet of you," Botan said, accepting the purple band and slipping it on her wrist. "Thank you. It's very pretty."

Hiei took his wordlessly and placed it in his pants pocket. She could tell that he was shocked by Kai's gesture, but he hid it well. As Botan scanned over the price of her desired item, she groaned.

"Great, I'm three tickets short!" she lamented.

Hiei handed her his tickets.

She blinked.

"I have no use for them."

"Well thanks, Hiei," she said, before picking her prize out. She slipped the keychain onto her key ring and smiled at it, before they exited from the arcade.

It was so nice that the three of them could be together like this. She was honestly about to lose hope that something like this could ever occur, when Hiei came out of left field and completely caught her off guard with his willingness to participate in activities that he would otherwise have zero interest in. Suddenly, a brilliant idea hit her. It was their very first family outing; she needed to capture the memory and preserve it forever.

"We should take a picture for posterity," she announced. "There was a photo booth in the arcade, do you want to use it?"

"I'm not getting in there," Hiei said stubbornly.

"Why not?"

"Because it's degrading," he answered.

"And losing horribly in an arcade game without Kai's help wasn't?"

"Exactly my point. I've reached my limit on the amount of degrading things I can do for the night."

"Fine, let's just take a normal photo then," she said, pulling out her phone and accessing the camera. Although it was nighttime, there was enough light afforded by the street lights and from the establishments surrounding the area. "I would suggest we take a selfie, but something tells me that you're opposed to those, too."

"So you aren't as daft as you look," he mocked.

Botan ignored him in lieu of reaching out to the only passerby near them at the moment.

"Excuse me, sir, would you mind taking a photo of the three of us?" she asked.

"No problem," the elderly man answered, taking the phone from her.

She smiled brightly while Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, staring ahead stoically. Kai matched Hiei's body language, the left corner of his mouth pulled upwards into a playful smirk.

"On the count of three," the stranger announced. "One, two, three."

The man lowered the phone and stepped forward to hand it back to Botan. She thanked him and then turned the phone over to view the pictures. Kai immediately snickered when he saw the screen.

"The old man reversed the camera by accident," Kai announced, laughing at the unflattering and blurry pictures of the stranger.

Botan deleted them, trying to hold back her amusement as she considered their options.

"We can either go back inside the arcade and use the photo booth, or we could settle for the cheaper and quicker option of a selfie," she stated.

"Or we could skip the photo altogether," Hiei suggested.

"Come on," she urged, before shivering. "It'll only take a second and it's too cold to stand out here and argue!"

He rolled his eyes, taking a small step towards Botan. She leaned in the rest of the way, until their shoulders were touching. She could feel his body heat radiating off of him and she briefly wondered how such a cold man could be so warm and inviting. Kai stood up on his tiptoes as Botan raised her phone up high and angled it downwards so that they would all be captured.

"Everybody say cheese!" she instructed.

"Cheese!" Kai answered.

"Hn."

She snapped a few photos, and then showed them to the boys.

"Not bad, right?" she asked, swiping through them.

"Yeah, I like the second one!" Kai said.

"Me too," she replied, as she continued to play around on her phone, not bothering to watch where she was going as Hiei led the way back to his car.

A moment later, Hiei's phone buzzed. He glared at her when he realized that she sent the photos to their group chat.

"I thought the others might like to see it," Botan reasoned with an innocent shrug.

 _Is that Hiei at an arcade? Oh man, this priceless. I'm keeping this forever_ – Yusuke.

 _Haha, me too! –_ Kuwabara.

 _Nice pictures. Though next time someone should tell Hiei that it's customary to smile when taking pictures._ – Shizuru.

Hiei glowered at Botan.

"Oops," Botan let out nervously as her phone buzzed again.

 _You all look great!_ – Yukina.

 _I agree. Enjoy the rest of your night._ – Kurama.

"Well, at least someone had something nice to say," Botan said, showing Hiei the message that Yukina and Kurama left.

Kai let out a yawn and Botan finally noticed the time. _11:30._

"Whoa, it's way past your bedtime mister," she noted. "I didn't even realize that it was so late."

"But I'm not even tired," he countered, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"Well, I am. It's a good think tomorrow's the weekend and we can sleep in," she said as they finally reached the car. "I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"I did," Kai said, buckling himself in. "It was a lot of fun. Thank you."

"Anytime, kiddo," Botan replied, rubbing her hands together to warm them from the cold.

As Hiei pulled off, Botan stared out of the window. She didn't even realize that Hiei had turned on the heat in the car and on her seat until she found herself relaxing into it. Soon enough, she heard the soft snores signaling that Kai had fallen asleep. She glanced over her shoulder to see that he was knocked out like a light and smiled.

"It was really nice of you to join us today, Hiei," she acknowledged quietly.

He didn't answer, so she continued.

"Not that I'm not appreciative, but it does seem strange that you've made a complete one-eighty in your behavior towards Kai," she noted. "Did something happen?"

"He really didn't tell you," Hiei realized.

"Tell me what?"

"It's not important," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "I trust you with Kai, but if something happened and you feel the need to get it off of your chest, you can tell me. I won't judge, I promise."

Hiei glanced back at the rearview mirror, taking in the sight of the sleeping boy before tearing his gaze away.

"Our first time alone together didn't quite go as smoothly as he led you to believe," he revealed.

"I had a feeling something might have happened," she said, biting her lip worriedly. She noticed the tension in his features and gave him a comforting look. "But it seems as though it's nothing more than water under a very high and sturdy bridge now."

"The boy is far too forgiving," Hiei said tightly.

"Only with those that he thinks are worth forgiving," she retorted. "He's a very honest person. He wouldn't pretend to like you if he didn't mean it."

"It doesn't make any sense."

"I know, I find myself learning more about life just by observing him," she said fondly. "In any case, he's very happy that you've started showing an in interest in him. And I am too. Tonight was really nice."

Hiei didn't respond, but he didn't have to. What he had done today was more than enough for now.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this one. We'll get some more family bonding in the next chapter along with the return of the rest of the gang. Botan will even have a revelation that will spin her world upside down yet again.

As always, thank you so much for the reviews and feedback. You guys are seriously the best. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts again!

Oh, and if you guys have any suggestions for the title of Botan's new column, I'd love to hear them. I don't have a name set in stone and it would be nice to insert something from the mind of the readers. Feel free to PM me or leave your suggestion in a review.


	8. Chapter 8

Botan's revelation is pushed off to the next chapter. I had to split this one in two because it was getting too large and was filled with too many events.

* * *

The third week of May started off exceptionally well for Kai. Sunday's were always quiet and low-key at the Himura residence and today was no exception. Botan was typing furiously on her laptop, hair in disarray and amethyst eyes focused and sharp as she stared at the screen. Her column was set for publication on Friday and she said that she had a lot of work to do. Kai didn't want to disturb her, so he found other ways to occupy himself. The pitter-patter of the rain outside created a calm and soothing effect inside of the quiet apartment and he snuggled into the couch as he worked on a game of Sudoku. A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought and the twisted around to stare at the door.

"Looks like somebody's got a visitor," Botan sing-songed, the corners of her eyes crinkled in amusement as she smiled over at him.

"Me?" he questioned, pointing to himself as a frown of confusion overtook his expression.

"Yes, you, mister," she replied, pulling her reading glasses up so that they sat on top of her head. "Go on, answer it."

"Okay," he replied, hopping off of the couch and moving to open the door. He nearly dropped the sheet of paper and pencil from his hands when he saw Hiei standing on the other side. The man was dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a gray long-sleeved shirt that had been pushed up to reveal his forearms and a pair of black boot. He wore an impassive expression on his face, mouth set into a neutral line as his crimson eyes rested on Kai. There were drops of rain dotting his dark jeans and shirt, but he remained fairly dry and Kai assumed that the rain must not have been that bad. He certainly didn't think that he would see Hiei so soon after their last adventure at the movies and the arcade and he was seriously considering pinching himself when Botan's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Aren't you going to let him in?"

"Sorry," Kai said, snapping out of it and moving aside so that Hiei could cross over the threshold and walk into the apartment.

Kai closed the door after Hiei had entered and stood behind the man, looking at his back. Although Hiei was standing right in front of him and he could smell the earthy scent of rain and wet grass that accompanied him from outside, Kai still had trouble believing that Hiei had actually dropped by. The boy turned to Botan, noticing the knowing look on her face. She must have been expecting Hiei all along.

"What's going on?" Kai finally asked in attempt to understand the reason behind Hiei's sudden presence.

"Well," Botan started, pulling the screen of her laptop down so that she could view them better. "I might be stuck in here all day because of work, but that doesn't mean that you have to be, too. I figured you'd want to do something other than be cooped up at home and Hiei just so happened to be free."

"Really?" Kai asked, needing to hear the confirmation from Hiei himself to believe it.

"Really," the man replied in that same toneless manner of his, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kai bit back a grin as a warm and contented feeling bubbled up in his chest. He tried to taper his emotions in the same mature way that Hiei often did, not wanting to seem like too much of an over-excited kid in his father's presence.

"So, where are we going?" Kai questioned, trying his best to appear casual as he set his nearly completed game of Sudoku down and rested the pencil on top of it.

"For dinner," Hiei answered curtly.

Kai's gaze drifted down to examine his navy blue shirt and black pants.

"Should I change?" he wondered, rubbing at the back of his head uncertainly.

Hiei shook his head.

"Your attire is fine."

Kai nodded in response before moving to pick up his favorite cap and securing it on his head. He then walked over to the shoe rack near the front door, listening to Botan exchanging pleasantries with Hiei as he pulled on his favorite pair of sneakers. The boy paused to think back to how tense things were between the three of them on the night that he had met Hiei. It was clear that his parents didn't really get along, but the two seemed to be doing much better now.

"He's not allergic to anything." Kai heard Botan mention. "And, if you can, try to make him eat some vegetables."

He pouted at that as he his tied his white shoelaces and then stood up to full height. Botan definitely could have left that last part out, but he secretly kind of liked the motherly way she tried to get him to do what was apparently good for him. He grinned back at Botan as Hiei joined him near the front door.

"See you later!" he waved.

"Have fun!" she returned. "Love you."

"Love you more," he replied, following Hiei out and closing the door behind him.

The rain had mostly ceased by the time they reached outside. Kai took up residence in his normal spot in the backseat, pulling his seatbelt on and relaxing into the leather cushioning. Hiei had the radio on some boring news station, but Kai couldn't care less. He was just happy to be going somewhere with the man. When they pulled up to the fancy looking restaurant, purple eyes widened in wonder. The waiters and waitresses were all dressed up and the entire place was huge, spotless and elaborately decorated. He felt small and out of place in such an expensive establishment, having never been to places like this before, but his nerves were soon forgotten when he was taken by the sight of a server passing by with a silver cart full of food. He gulped and followed the cart with his eyes until it stopped by a plump looking man and woman.

"Right this way," a waiter said, pulling Kai from his thoughts.

They followed the man to a table in the corner and they took their seats. Kai watched as Hiei placed his napkin in his lap, before following suit a little awkwardly.

"I've never been to a place this fancy before," he revealed. "Do you come here a lot?"

"No, but Kurama recommended it," Hiei replied as he passed an oversized menu to Kai.

Many delicious scents wafted through the air as he looked over the seemingly endless options printed out in thin, black script on the menu. His swung his dangling legs back and forth in excitement as his eyes roamed over the various pages of the menu. It was really nice of Botan to surprise him and set up an outing with Hiei. He paused as he thought of her. While he was out at a new and upscale place, she was probably going to end up eating takeout or a pre-packaged, frozen meal for dinner.

"Botan would probably like it here," he muttered under his breath, his tone wistful as he thought of the cheery, blue-haired woman.

"She made it clear that she had other priorities to attend to," Hiei reminded Kai.

"I know, but she'll probably end up eating frozen pizza or skip dinner altogether."

"The woman is perfectly capable of making a meal for herself," Hiei insisted.

"Well, she can't really cook," Kai revealed sheepishly.

"What?"

"She never learned how to," Kai explained.

Hiei rolled his eyes begrudgingly as he spoke. "Order something for her."

Kai's eyes widened at the uncharacteristic suggestion, peering up at Hiei curiously.

"Can I really?"

"I wouldn't have proposed it otherwise."

"Okay," he agreed, returning his attentions to the menu in his hands. There were a lot of things written in Italian, which made sense, because this was an Italian restaurant, but Kai couldn't really tell what Botan would and wouldn't like.

"What is it?" Hiei asked, seeming to sense Kai's indecision.

"I don't know what Botan would want," he replied. "Can I use your phone to ask her?"

Hiei wordlessly pulled a thin, black cellphone out of his pocket and handed it to him. Kai looked through the recent contacts, biting back a grin when he saw the way that Hiei had everyone listed in his phone. _The Fox_ was obviously Kurama. Kai didn't really get why Hiei always referred to Kurama like that, but he didn't care to dwell on it. Other nicknames included _The Oaf_ , _The Fool_ and _The Idiot_. He was sure that Kuwabara was 'the oaf' and Yusuke had to be listed as either 'the fool' or the 'the idiot'. Kai knew that Hiei had a colleague at work that he was always irritated with; that guy had to be the identity behind the remaining name. Finally, Kai spotted what he deemed to be Botan's nickname: _The Woman_. It was sort of funny that such an uptight and rigid guy like Hiei had such funny names listed in his contacts. The only familiar and proper names that Kai actually recognized were _S. Kuwabara_ and _Yukina_.He wondered if anyone else knew about this uncharacteristic quirk of Hiei's and grinned, resolving to keep it a secret.

Kai clicked on Botan's name and sent a picture of the menu along with instructions for her to choose something. She replied back immediately, saying that she didn't need anything, but Kai was persistent. It only took little bit of cajoling for her to finally give in and choose a pasta dish with white wine sauce and chicken. Shortly after, the waiter had taken their orders and he and Hiei were left with nothing but each other's company to occupy themselves with.

Kai tapped his fingers on the smooth table, needing to fill up the silence that had overtaken them. He glanced at the other customers, who were either engaged in conversation or busy eating their food, before looking back at Hiei. He had learned a lot about the man's likes and dislikes already, but he was curious to know more. He wanted to know everything. He decided to start simple though, looking down at the cellphone and remembering the strange way Hiei had referred to his friends. Although Hiei appeared to be the loner type, Kai knew that the others were his friends too. He didn't have the chance to see Hiei interact with any of them, yet, and he was curious about the group's dynamics.

"Who's your best friend?" Kai asked nonchalantly.

Hiei's brow crinkled slightly, before returning to normal.

"I don't have a best friend," he replied.

Kai sort of expected that answer, so he continued without missing a beat.

"It's probably Kurama, isn't it?" the boy pressed, leaning forward slightly to examine Hiei critically.

The black-haired man remained impassive under Kai's critical gaze, but he did raise a questioning brow.

"Why would you say that?"

Kai shrugged, leaning back into his chair.

"I dunno. He just seems like the one you'd be least annoyed with."

"Hn, trust me, the fox is the worst of them all," Hiei divulged with a frown. "He's a meddlesome know it all."

Kai snickered in response. He didn't think that Kurama was meddlesome, but Hiei had known the mysterious redhead for much longer than Kai had, so it could have been true. Kai decided to move on to a member of the group that he knew for sure that Hiei liked: his sister.

"Who's older? You or Yukina?"

"I am."

"Oh… what's it like being a twin? Can you tell what the other is thinking?"

"You read too much fiction," Hiei countered, with a half-smirk. "You're confusing fantasy with reality."

"You really don't have a special connection?" Kai pressed.

There was a flash of recognition in Hiei's crimson eyes - as though he understood what Kai was saying - and the boy grinned as Hiei answered.

"…I've always been attuned to her."

"Attuned?"

"I know when something isn't right," Hiei clarified.

"Like if she's upset or in trouble?"

"Something like that."

"That's so cool," Kai awed. "Shizuru and Kuwabara are like that, too – but not just with each other, with a lot of things. Like a sixth sense."

"Kuwabara is an over emotional fool and Shizuru is simply more attentive than others," Hiei retorted. "There is nothing supernatural or extraordinary about it."

"Kuwabara also says he's a warrior of love, too," Kai recalled. "He says a lot of interesting things."

"Kuwabara is a sentimental fool; most of what he says is unfounded."

Kai's face fell, noting the way that Hiei's expression darkened every time Kuwabara was mentioned.

"You don't like Kuwabara, do you?"

"I tolerate him," Hiei said.

"But Yukina likes him," Kai pointed out unhelpfully, noting the way that Hiei's frown deepened.

"Don't remind me."

"Well, what about Shizuru?" Kai asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. "Do you like her?"

Hiei's frown lessened.

"She is quite possibly one of the most sensible and least annoying out of the group."

"And Botan?" Kai tried.

Hiei's expression returned to its guarded and impassive stated, eyes boring through Kai's as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious," he shrugged.

"The woman is…" Hiei started, and then paused. "She could be worse."

"Well, I think she's the best," Kai grinned.

"You would."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kai replied defensively, lower lip jutting out into a pout.

"She's your mother and you are young and naïve to the obvious faults and flaws in people," Hiei pointed out.

"That's not true, I know rotten people when I see them."

"Is that so?" Hiei baited.

"Yeah! And I don't just think Botan's awesome, I think you are too," Kai blurted out, before covering his mouth with both hands. "I mean… you know. You're not so bad."

"Hn. Like I said, you're still young and oblivious to a lot of things."

Kai shrugged it off. Hiei was a lot more complex than he could begin to understand, so he continued firing off random questions. They spent the rest of the meal like that, with Kai asking questions and Hiei answering bluntly. The corner of Hiei's mouth was lifted, but only slightly so. He wasn't irritated with the questioning, so Kai continued. With a bit of persistent probing - something that Kai was excellent at - Hiei answered nearly everything. Sometimes the man seemed amused and other times he appeared to be genuinely bewildered by Kai's unique and erratic train of thought, but he never got irritated with his questions. Not once. In fact, although his expression remained casual and indifferent, his focus was entirely on Kai. His phone had even lit up a few times and Hiei didn't bother with it. He listened to what Kai said and he answered his questions directly. He didn't treat Kai like a child and sugar coat his words, either. He spoke without filtering himself or hiding his intentions and Kai appreciated it.

Kai remembered how vitriolic Hiei had seemed during their first meeting. He was all hard glares and deep frowns. The deafening silence created by his apparent dismissal of Kai was only punctuated by harsh words and cold looks. But here, under the soft light of the restaurant and the dulled sounds of quiet music and chatter, the man didn't seem so bad. Kai stopped eating for a moment to examine him. Hiei was a shade darker than Kai, his skin color more of a deep olive tone. He had the same type of hair as Kai, but his extended upwards into a peak where as Kai's was just a ruffled mess that lay on top of his head. They both had the same slanted eyes that gave off a mean or intimidating expression, but Hiei's seemed more intense due to the red color of his irises and the unapproachable aura he exuded.

Kai found that he liked the intimidating aura that Hiei gave off. He liked the assured confidence in his countenance. And he liked the honesty in his words and actions. There were no surprises because Hiei was constant.

If Botan was like a bright and sunny day, then Hiei was a familiar and comforting pitch-black night. He needed both of them to make his day feel whole, and he was glad that he had finally found them.

* * *

Hiei had been stuck in meetings at a conference two towns away for the past three days. In the time he was gone, he was kept updated on the daily happenings of everyone else through the group chat. Over the span of a few days the fox had taken the boy to the library, the oaf had paid a visit to Botan's apartment, and the entire group had convened near Yusuke's cart for a meal. When Hiei returned home, he decided to mute the chat for a few hours. He needed a few hours of sleep before the next big meeting in the office and he very well couldn't do that with his phone constantly receiving messages. The only ones who contacted him outside of work were the people contained in the group chat, so he figured he was safe if he silenced it for a while.

Of course, nothing ever went as planned and his phone started ringing. He frowned at the unknown number and his irritation dissolved into concern when he was told that his presence was needed at the elementary school, due to an incident involving Kai. He had apparently been listed as an emergency contact for the boy during the whole school transferring process and he figured that it must have been serious if they were requesting his presence.

He left the upcoming meeting in Haru's hands without a second thought and drove towards the school. Upon entering the building, the middle-aged secretary directed him towards the principal's office. He hadn't been back in a school in years and it felt strange to be headed to the principal's office again.

"Mr. Jaganshi," an older man greeted from behind a clean polished mahogany desk. "I am Principal Takeda, nice to meet you."

"What happened?" Hiei asked bluntly, deciding to cut straight to the chase.

The principal returned his impatience with a patient smile, completely unaffected by Hiei's lack of manners.

"Let's wait for your wife, shall we?" he suggested instead.

"She isn't-" Hiei tried to correct the older man, but was interrupted by Botan's entry.

"I came as fast I could," Botan announced, stepping into the office and fixing the principal with an urgent look. "What's this about Kai fighting?"

"Well," Takeda started.

"Hiei," Botan breathed out, cutting the principal off as she turned to view him fully through widened and alarmed eyes. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I received the same call as you," he revealed.

She continued to blatantly stare at him in that surprised manner and his eyes narrowed defensively.

"What is it, woman?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied with a quick shake of her head. "It's nothing."

"Please, take a seat you two," the principal offered, pausing until they had both followed suit. He intertwined his fingers and leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "I'm afraid that there was a little scuffle between your son and an upperclassman."

"What happened?" Botan asked, brows knotted in concern as a frown tugged her features downwards. "Kai isn't the type to start a fight."

"Apparently the upperclassman was bullying a friend of Kai's and your son decided to intervene," he informed.

"Well, that's admirable of him," Botan noted, the creases in her brow lessening. "Wasn't it?"

"Yes, but he gave his upperclassman a bloody nose and black eye."

Botan winced in response while Hiei remained impassive. Kai was only acting in self-defense and the upperclassman deserved it, so Hiei found nothing wrong with the end result. It actually angered him that the boy was put in this position in the first place and he was sure that the offending party deserved whatever damage Kai had caused to him.

"While we have a zero tolerance for bullying, we also do not condone violence," the principal stated. "Given the nature of the situation, both students will have to face disciplinary actions."

"We understand," Botan answered.

The principal paused to press a button on the intercom. "Please bring Kai inside."

Hiei watched as the blue-haired boy entered the office moments later, head ducked in embarrassment when he noticed everyone's attentions on him.

"Kai?" Botan called, trying to get his attention.

He moved to stand in front of her, lifting his purple-eyed gaze slowly.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, looking between Hiei and Botan. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. I just…"

"I'm proud of you for standing up for your friend, but violence simply isn't the answer," Botan explained softly, bringing a hand up to cup the side of his face.

Hiei noticed the way that Kai tensed in anger, fists balled at his sides. He must have been recalling the incident that landed him here in the first place, Hiei realized.

"Sho deserved it," Kai explained. "Amanuma didn't do anything to him and he kept on picking on him. Sho wouldn't stop, so I used that move that Yusuke taught me. Now he won't be bullying anyone else anymore."

"I should have known Yusuke had a hand in all of this," Botan muttered under her breath.

"He did well," Hiei defended. "I would have been disappointed if he didn't knock the senses out of the fool that dared to cross him."

"Hiei!" Botan exclaimed indignantly, like the pacifist that she was.

"Thanks, Hiei…" Kai replied quietly, before sending Botan a sheepish look.

Botan let out a long-suffering sigh and shook her head.

"You're both far too alike."

Hiei grunted and Kai only grinned in response.

"We can all agree that Kai's intentions were admirable, but I'm afraid they will come with consequences," Mr. Takeda reminded them.

"Right," Botan said, looking more serious as she stared back at the principal.

The woman seemed to be holding her breath as she awaited the verdict, while Hiei was less concerned. Kai stood tall, straightening his posture and staring the principal down, completely ready for whatever his punishment would be. It was a an injustice in Hiei's eyes – the boy had done something good and was now being punished for it – but at least Kai was handling it well. Hiei crossed his arms in front of his chest and listened to the principal's next words carefully.

"Kai will be suspended for the remainder of the day."

Both the woman and the boy visibly relaxed, but Hiei was not satisfied.

"And what about the other child?" he inquired.

"He will be suspended for the remainder of this and next week, and upon his return, he will be instructed to take after school lessons on tolerance."

"That sounds fair," Botan said.

"I'm glad that you agree," Takeda replied.

Both Botan and Hiei stood up from their seats.

"Kai, why don't you gather up your things?" Mr. Takeda suggested. "I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"Okay," Kai answered with an obedient nod.

"We're sorry for any trouble that this might have caused," Botan apologized, bowing politely.

Takeda smiled kindly in acknowledgement, and Hiei waited until Botan and Kai had exited the office before he followed suit. He paused when he noticed a couple seated beside a boy who was nearly twice Kai's size and Hiei could only presume that this was the aforementioned bully, Sho. The boy held an ice pack over his swollen eye and wore a pitiful look on his face. Hiei resisted the urge to scoff as his fancily dressed mother doted over him.

When Botan and Kai passed in front of them, the sniveling boy paused in his moaning and groaning.

"That's the kid!" Sho exclaimed, pointing over at Kai.

The mother's make-up caked face twisted into a snarl as she stared hard at Kai.

"Hmph, looks like the juvenile delinquents are getting younger and younger nowadays," she whispered loudly to her husband.

Hiei's fists clenched angrily, but Botan was already on it.

"How dare you call my son a juvenile delinquent?" she fired back immediately. "Your son was the only one behaving cowardly, picking on another student, and one much younger than him at that. Kai acted with honor and courage, values that you clearly lack and have yet to instill in your boy."

The woman's eyes widened and her nose flared in exasperation. She turned to her husband for help and he patted her arm soothingly. Hiei's eyes narrowed and locked in on the husband. He knew that sniveling fool.

"Now, now, honey, there's no point in arguing with people who clearly can't see reason," Ura Urashima started with a condescending look in Botan's direction. "Manners, civility, sound judgment – they're all beyond the borders of understanding for people of lower intelligence and class."

Hiei stepped into view and Urashima's beady eyes widened and face paled. His mouth hung slightly ajar as he stared back at Hiei numbly.

"D-director…" he stammered out, standing up to face Hiei properly. "I didn't see you there. What are you doing in a place like this?"

"Your wife was just explaining to me how my son is a juvenile delinquent. And I believe you just implied that our sense of reasoning, intelligence and class was somehow below that of yours," Hiei recalled, a biting edge encasing each word.

"N-no, you're misunderstanding what I was saying," he denied. He gulped nervously as his eyes darted back and forth between Kai and his own son. "Let's not have any tensions arise because of what happened here today. I'm sure that this was just a healthy squabble between boys."

Hiei's eyes were hard and unforgiving as he stared back at them and Urashima nudged his son, forcing him to bow his head. His wife followed suit, the pearls on her necklace clanking against each other as she bowed furiously.

"We're very sorry," he apologized.

"You should be sorry. You're all just a bunch of bullies," Botan berated, sticking her tongue out for good measure as she set her hands on Kai's shoulders. "Let's go."

"Yeah," Kai said, sending the trio a similar look on his way out.

Hiei followed behind the two as they exited the waiting room. There was an extra spring to Kai's step and even Botan seemed to be in a better mood.

"That was awesome!" Kai cheered, bouncing happily between Hiei and Botan as they strode towards his classroom. "Did you see the way they all ate their words?"

Botan giggled.

"It was pretty great," she agreed, tilting her head to look at Hiei. "I'm assuming that was an employee of yours?"

"Unfortunately," Hiei replied. "His self-importance is far greater than his actual competence and skill. The only reason he maintains his position is because of his connections."

"I can't stand people like that," Botan frowned.

"Me neither," he admitted.

"Hn." Kai seemed to agree.

They stopped in front of classroom 108 and stood outside of the door while Kai went in to retrieve his things. From his position near the door, Hiei could see all sorts of colorful charts and posters around the walls of the classroom. The teacher was in the middle of the lesson, but she paused to regard Kai as he headed towards the back to retrieve his things.

"I have to say, I was really surprised to see you here," Botan said, pulling his attention back to her.

"Hn."

"I listed you as an emergency contact just in case, but I didn't think you would be involved in things like this," she revealed. "I mean, I'm thrilled that you're here, of course. This whole parenting thing is a lot easier when you've got someone else to see it through with. I just… well, I'm not sure what I'm trying to say."

"Believe it or not, woman, I think I know what you mean."

She grinned in relief and they waited for Kai in silence. He had only really gotten to know the boy recently and he still did not understand just how much work really went into raising a child, but Botan seemed to be handling it well. Prior to landing the column, she had been working temporary jobs and still taking care of him. This new job should make it easier on her and he supposed his newfound interest in the boy and involvement in their lives helped to ease her responsibilities as well.

"Ready to go?" Botan asked Kai as he returned to their side.

"Yeah," he said, swinging his backpack over his shoulder.

They made it all of five feet away when they were halted.

"Wait!"

They paused when they saw a brown-haired, freckled boy meet them in the hallway.

"Amanuma? What's wrong?" Kai asked, mouth pulled into an immediate frown as he examined his friend.

"I'm sorry that you got in trouble because of me," Amanuma apologized, before looking up at Hiei and Botan. "Please don't be mad at him. He was only helping me."

"Don't you worry, Amanuma, we're not angry," Botan soothed. "And we're glad that you're okay."

"See, I told you my parents are cool," Kai whispered behind his hand.

Amanuma nodded in agreement, his expression softening.

"…Thanks a lot for having my back."

"Anytime," Kai replied. "If he bothers you again, just let me know."

Amanuma covered a laugh behind his small hand.

"I don't think he'll try anything again. He was crying like a big baby after he got socked in the face."

"Serves him right," Kai answered with a smirk that reminded Hiei of one of his own. "Nobody messes with my best-friend."

Amanuma seemed to be touched by the sentiment.

"So," Amanuma shifted uncomfortably. "...See you tomorrow?"

"You bet."

The two high-fived and then Amanuma regarded Hiei and Botan with a bow, before hurrying back to the classroom.

"What a sweet boy," Botan said. "He's your seatmate who helped you out on your first day, right?"

"Yeah," Kai confirmed.

"I'm glad that you helped him. I mean, I'm not thrilled that you got into a fight, but it was for the right cause. Hopefully next time you can try to resolve things without violence, though."

"Okay, I'll try."

"If violence is unavoidable, make sure you win the fight," Hiei inserted..

"Hiei!" Botan chastised.

"Okay, I will," Kai nodded eagerly.

Botan shook her head.

"I can't win with you two," she sighed as they exited the area.

Both Hiei and Botan's phones pinged, indicating that they received a message in the group chat. Botan stopped, apparently having remembered something important as she rounded on Hiei.

"Oh, that reminds me, you never RSVP'd!"

"What?" he asked, completely confused by her random string of words.

"Didn't you read the group chat?" she asked.

"No."

"Well, everyone's coming over to celebrate my brand new column: _Instant Mom_ ," she explained. "My editor decided to release a snippet in tomorrow's paper to gain interest over the weekend. Then, on Monday, I'll post the entire first column. We're all meeting up tomorrow at six o'clock to commemorate the fact that I've finally landed my dream job."

"I'm busy," Hiei declined.

"Work will always be there Hiei, but friends and good times are hard to come by," she told him sagely, index finger raised as she spoke.

"You sound like a Hallmark card," he scoffed.

"And you sound like you're deflecting," she sing-songed.

"Hn."

"Just come. It's been so long since everyone was together!"

"Yeah, Hiei, you should come!" Kai urged, pulling on his pant leg for good measure.

"Fine," he grumbled, knowing that it would be best to agree now than to suffer through any further pestering.

"Woohoo!" Kai cheered, exchanging a victorious grin with Botan as Hiei rolled his eyes.

"So what are you up to now?" Botan inquired. "I hope you weren't in the middle of something important before this…"

"I left a meeting in Haru's hands and I have no doubt that the idiot is bound to screw something up."

"Oh, so he's the idiot!" Kai reasoned, snapping his fingers and nodding to himself.

"What?" Hiei questioned. He really couldn't keep up with Kai or Botan's unpredictable train of thoughts.

"In your phone," Kai replied. "I was wondering if it was Yusuke."

"What are you talking about?" Botan blinked.

"Hiei's got-"

Hiei threw a hand over Kai's mouth, muffling the remainder of his words.

"What?" Botan pressed, blinking in confusion.

"Nothing," Hiei said releasing Kai and shooting him a pointed look.

Kai pursed his lips together obediently.

"It's not nice for you two to keep secrets," Botan huffed, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly.

"Somebody has to," Hiei argued, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Otherwise this entire family would be a band of blabbermouths."

Botan let out a soft gasp and Hiei realized what he had said. It wasn't a declaration or profound profession. It simply was. Logically, rationally and in all actuality, the three of them constituted as the necessary components of a family. He didn't mean it in a touching or emotional light, but he could see that Botan was affected by it. He didn't know how to salvage the situation so he closed his mouth and averted his gaze.

"Anyway," Botan started shakily. "We had better get going."

Hiei nodded.

"Bye Hiei," Kai waved.

Hiei raised a single hand in acknowledgement and went his way. It was alarming how quickly the child had become an integral component in Hiei's life. If Kai was in trouble, Hiei would drop everything for him as he did today. If the boy needed anything, Hiei would do what he had to do to ensure that he received it.

But it went deeper than that. Hiei wanted Kai to be happy in that same genuine and contented way that Botan always was. It was no secret that the boy craved Hiei's presence, and if spending an evening at Botan's small apartment in the presence of the rest of the group was what he had to do, then he would do it.

* * *

Botan examined her pale pink nails as she walked back towards her apartment. Shizuru had gifted her with a trip to the nail salon, telling her to pamper herself before her party. The mani-pedi had lifted her spirits and she was getting excited to see everybody. Kuwabara and Yukina had taken Kai after school and agreed to bring him back home in time for the gathering so she had a little free time for herself. She looked down at her watch and was glad to see that she had an hour before the party began.

She slowed down her pace, taking in the warm weather and pretty sights that accompanied springtime. As she passed by Hiei's apartment, she couldn't help but recall how surprised she had been to see him there at the elementary school yesterday. He had been making an effort to spend time with Kai and Botan couldn't have been more pleased over it, but seeing him at the principal's office was something new. Something different. Something entirely unexpected.

Up until now, Hiei spent time with Kai on his terms and when he wanted to, but this was an obvious disruption to his schedule. And it was quite clearly the last thing he would want to do on his time. Hiei taking responsibility was a very fatherly thing to do and it threw her for a loop. It proved just how serious he was about all of this and it reinforced her earlier beliefs that Hiei was not as bad as he pretended to be.

She invited him to the celebration today, but she would not be disappointed if he didn't show. He was not obligated to be here for her, and he had done enough by making himself available for Kai.

In a matter of minutes, she had returned to her apartment building. She pulled her key out of her purse and unlocked the door, eyes going wide when she noticed that she was not alone.

"Congratulations!"

She blinked, looking around at the decorated room in awe. There was a huge banner hanging overhead and the living area was decorated with balloons and streamers. She spotted a stack of newspapers lined on the table and she felt a swell of pride. Everyone was here to celebrate _her_ new column. This was actually happening.

"Oh my," she said, throwing a hand on her chest. "Well, this was unexpected!"

Kai grinned as he pulled her inside.

"We worked really hard to finish decorating before you came home. Do you like it?"

"I absolutely love it," she said, before looking back at the others. "I really didn't expect to see all of this ready by the time I came home."

"Heh, we figured it would be more festive this way," Kuwabara noted.

As she set her purse down on the table and looked around at her decorated apartment in awe, Yusuke moseyed over to her.

"So, I'm totally happy for you and all, but I do have a bone to pick with you," Yusuke started as he gestured to the newspapers.

"Already?" she gasped.

" _Naosuke_?" he said, repeating the pseudonym that she had given him in her column. "Really? Do I look like a Naosuke to you?"

" _Naosuke_ is a fine name, Yusuke," Botan defended, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, it's way better than _Kazuna Kuwahara_ ," Kuwabara argued.

"What's wrong with _Kazuna_?" Botan retorted, turning around to fix Kuwabara with a pointed look.

"Nothing, I think that's what we should call him from now on," Yusuke snickered, causing Kai to join him.

"Fine, whatever you say, _Naosuke_ ," Kuwabara huffed.

The two devolved into their own private argument and Botan sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I like my name," Kai said sweetly. " _Tai_ sounds pretty cool."

"Why thank you Kai," Botan replied, giving him a side hug. "At least somebody appreciates my efforts."

Hiei, Yukina, Shizuru and Kurama had all refrained from commenting on their names and she was thankful for that. _Hiten_ , _Sukina_ , _Shizune_ and _Korama_ were such good sports, she thought to herself with a grin. Yusuke and Kuwabara should have been happy that she used pseudonyms in the first place.

"To be fair, despite the weird name choices, the teaser piece was really good," Yusuke said as he held Kuwabara down in a chokehold. "I don't really make it a habit of reading the paper, but I guess I've got a reason to now."

The orange-haired man struggled to tap a hand against Yusuke's arm, and Yusuke finally released him. Kuwabara shoved him a bit and then grinned at Botan.

"Yeah, your column's really great, even if you did use weird names for us," he added.

"Thanks guys."

"I'll look forward to the continuation on Monday," Kurama added.

"Me too," Yukina smiled.

"I appreciate you all letting me mention you in the column. I mean, this is partly your story too. You all have been involved so much and…" she paused as the emotion suddenly overwhelmed her. "I'm just really thankful for everything."

Shizuru placed a comforting hand on her back.

"Of course Bo. You'd do the same for any of us."

Botan nodded.

"Oh yeah! We all got you something," Kai remembered, turning around to pick the mystery item up from the table and bring it in front of her.

It didn't take a scientist to figure out what it was by the size and shape of it, but she still looked back at the others in a mixture of shock and confusion. She really couldn't believe that they had gotten her a present.

"Go on, open it," Shizuru urged, motioning for Botan to take a seat on the couch.

As she sat down and received the gift from Kai, she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Resting it in her lap, she carefully began to remove the wrapping paper and her eyes widened as she looked down at the sleek, new laptop.

"You're always working on that beat up old laptop that keeps freezing up on you. We figured we might as well get you something new and improved for your fancy new job," Kuwabara informed.

"Oh my… you really shouldn't have," she started, fingers gliding over the keys.

"Between the eight of us – yes, eight, your kid gave us his allowance even though we told him not to and Koenma and Hinageshi chipped in, too – it really wasn't that much," Yusuke shrugged. "Besides, Kuwabara and me know the owner of the store and he gave us a pretty generous discount."

Botan's smile softened as she looked up at all of them. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, Shizuru, Kurama, Kai and even Hiei had chipped in to get her such a thoughtful gift. Koenma and Hinageshi were even in on it as well – though she shouldn't have been surprised, those two always found a way to still be present despite the distance.

"Do you like it?" Kai asked.

"Of course I do," Botan replied. "Thank you all."

She found herself unable to really say anything more at the moment, feeling a bit choked up on emotion. Shizuru seemed to sense her current state, and diverted everyone's attentions.

"The food will probably get cold at this rate, we should eat it while it's hot," she announced.

At the mention of food, Yusuke had already set up shop near his home cooked wonders and he began dishing it out as though he were back behind the counter of his cart. After stuffing themselves with Yusuke's mouthwatering dishes, they enjoyed the variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages supplied by Botan and the sweet treats baked by Yukina. She was sure that Kai was going to have trouble going to bed tonight, what with the combined sugar rush of the sweet drinks and Yukina's delicious baked treats, but she supposed that he was allowed for tonight. She herself was in the middle of tasting a fudge brownie when Hiei had joined her at the table. She watched him grab a bottle of beer and uncap it with the opener attached to his keys before taking a sip. She had expected him to return to his corner of seclusion, but he remained standing there with his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. Botan followed his line of sight to the opposite end of the room where Yukina and Kuwabara resided, and it all clicked. Although his expression remained aloof, she noticed the way that his crimson orbs filled with disdain as he watched Yukina and Kuwabara converse among themselves. The sort-of-couple (Botan had no idea if they were official or not, though they might as well be) seemed to be in their own private world, the rest of the group going unnoticed by them. Kuwabara's charcoal eyes were focused on Yukina, a smitten expression softening and rounding out the sharp edges of his features, and Yukina was smiling at him in that warm way that she only reserved for the younger Kuwabara sibling. Botan couldn't help but let out a contented sigh at the display.

"Don't they make the cutest couple?" she gushed.

Hiei's jaw ticked and his hand tightened around the neck of his beer bottle.

"Hardly."

"You should be happy that your dear sister found such a gentleman," she noted, eyes still on the two in the distance.

"You're clearly delusional, woman. Kuwabara is an uncouth, clumsy ape."

"He's a man with morals and honor and a heart of gold," she said., tearing her gaze away from the two to view Hiei. "It could be worse. Yukina could have liked Yusuke."

Hiei looked visibly ill at the suggestion, but he recovered quickly.

"The oaf isn't a much better option," Hiei reminded her, as his eyes narrowed upon watching Kuwabara devolve into another one of his love infused rants.

"Try looking on the bright side for once, Hiei," she urged, amethyst eyes moving to gage the state of the people in the room with interest. Yusuke made an off-hand remark about where Kuwabara could shove his thousandth love confession to Yukina, causing the two to erupt into one of their usual squabbles. Shizuru kindly ushered Yukina out of the way and the two began to chat among themselves, while Kai and Kurama set up her new laptop. Everyone was together, safe and content. Life wasn't perfect, but it sure was close to it. "At least your biggest worry is the simple fact that your sister has taken a liking to a perfectly decent guy. You've got an amazing group of friends who support you, a son who absolutely adores you and a pretty successful career. Things could've been worse."

Hiei looked back at her wordlessly, his expression unreadable yet unrelenting and Botan suddenly felt very self-conscious. When those crimson eyes weren't narrowed in annoyance or sharpened into an icy glare, they were quite striking. He seemed to be searching her for an answer that she could not ascertain. Kai had done the same thing to her many times before, but with Hiei, it was somehow different. She felt the telltale signs of a blush heating her cheeks and she cleared her throat.

"Did I say something wrong?" she wondered.

Hiei finally averted his gaze with a shake of his head.

"No."

"Well, in any case, I'm really glad that you came," she confessed.

"I told you that I would," he reminded her, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking another sip.

"You did, but I didn't really expect you to. Tonight was for me, not Kai. I wasn't sure if you would actually show."

"I don't go back on my word," he responded plainly.

He seemed more relaxed now, Botan realized with a victorious grin. His shoulders were no longer squared in anger and his frown was gone. It appeared as though her words actually got through to him. Her moment of victory was shortlived due to Yusuke's untimely appearance.

"Well don't you two look chummy?"

Yusuke threw his arms around both Botan's and Hiei's shoulders, pulling them closer to each other with a mischievous grin. Hiei was the first to shrug him off and Botan quickly followed suit, bringing her hands up to hair and the disheveled mess that Yusuke had brought upon it. She had just finished retying her loosened ponytail when she spotted Yusuke bending down to pick something up. He brought the object to eye-level and gave it an inquisitive look.

"What's with the bracelet?" he asked, examining the black piece of material.

Botan recognized it immediately as the bracelet that Kai had gifted to Hiei, but Hiei had already acted before she could.

"None of your concern," Hiei said, snatching it from Yusuke's grip and shoving it back in his pocket.

"Didn't know you were so fashionable," Yusuke teased.

"Shut up," Hiei gritted.

"That's so cute, I'm wearing mine right now," Botan announced, pointing to the purple bracelet encircling her right wrist with pride. "And Kai hardly takes his off."

Yusuke rubbed at his chin contemplatively before nodding.

"Family bands, huh? It is kind of _cute_ now that I think about it," he teased, placing emphasis on the word 'cute' to further embarrass Hiei.

Hiei looked away and she decided that it was time for her to intervene.

"Now, now, Yusuke, it isn't nice to ease," she warned. "Nobody mentions the time you thought it would be a good idea to grow your hair out and get temporary henna tattoos that made you look like some sort of tribal weirdo."

Yusuke's expression dropped.

"Well, nobody mentioned it until today," he grumbled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

Botan winked at Hiei and he nodded in some sort of begrudging acknowledgement. She felt like the brave knight coming to Hiei's aid and mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done. She then moved to join Yukina and Shizuru for some much needed girl-time.

"You two really were looking pretty friendly back there," Shizuru noted, a hand resting on her hip as she spoke.

"Hiei and I?" Botan blinked.

"Who else?" the brunette replied. "Every conversation turned into an argument before, but it looks like you two finally got it right."

"It is very nice to see you two getting along," Yukina commented.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm not sure when or how it happened, but we both learned to tolerate each other."

"More than just tolerate each other," Shizuru said. "Sounds to me like you two might actually be sort of friends."

Botan grinned.

"You think so?"

"Looks like it."

Botan glanced over at Hiei as a soft smile graced her features. Kai had migrated over to where he and Yusuke stood and she had to admit that she loved the sight of her son finally being able to interact with his father.

"Hey bud, I heard you used that uppercut I taught you on some kid at your school," Yusuke mentioned, grinning down at Kai proudly.

Kai nodded.

"It worked, just like you said it would!"

"Awesome!" Yusuke said, high-fiving him. He only seemed to realize that Hiei was standing right next to him and he cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, you shouldn't use violence to solve your problems. Or so I'm told."

"Don't bother," Hiei interrupted. "The only one who was unhappy with his actions was the woman, and only slightly so."

Kai grinned.

"That makes sense," Yusuke said. "Besides, you were always getting into fights back in high school, too. I guess the little guy took after you in that sense."

"Really?" Kai questioned, brows climbing high as his mouth fell open in disbelief.

"Yusuke," Hiei growled warningly.

"Uh… I mean… Hiei was the perfect student," Yusuke lied through his teeth unconvincingly. "Class president. Teacher's pet. Your classic goody-two-shoes nerd type."

Kai ignored Yusuke, turning to face Hiei fully.

"You used to get into fights all the time?"

"Not all the time," Hiei corrected. "Just enough for it to have become an issue."

"Did you get in a lot of trouble?"

"Unlike Yusuke or Kuwabara, I had the good sense to fight off of school grounds," Hiei replied, taking notice of the admiration in Kai's expression before he hardened his gaze warningly. "Just because I made it a habit, doesn't mean that you should."

"I won't," Kai promised, shaking his head. "Not unless it's to defend myself or someone else."

"Maybe you should teach the kid some moves, Hiei," Yusuke suggested. "Put those black belt skills to use."

"Whoa, you're a black belt?" Kai asked. "You've gotta teach me!"

Yusuke clapped a hand on Hiei's shoulder, before turning away and giving the two some privacy. Botan's gaze lingered on her son and the father of her son with admiration and pride. She was very pleased to see that Hiei was giving Kai some well-deserved attention and she knew that Kai appreciated it as well. Hiei had even referred to them as a family, and although she knew that his words held no emotional connotation, it still meant something to her. Kai deserved all of the love he could get and she had a feeling that Hiei needed the same sort of unconditional love as well; the type that could only be provided by a soul as pure hearted and innocent as Kai.

She still didn't know as much as she would have liked to about Hiei, but she knew enough. And she was sure that he was exactly what their family needed to finally be complete.

* * *

Like I mentioned before the start of the chapter, the Botan's promised revelation will occur in the next chapter. Though I'm sure you all know what it will be, since it isn't really much shocker or huge eye-opener.

Anyway, I truly thank everyone who has reviewed so far. You guys absolutely make my day with your feedback and reactions. It's so nice to hear from the same group of people each chapter, and in a different vein, it's just as great to receive comments from new readers as well. Thank you for taking time to read and leave your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you guys again!


	9. Chapter 9

So, it isn't a Saturday, but I hope you guys are ready for another update. This one is pretty long, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the newest chapter.

* * *

The first Monday of June found Hiei leaving working earlier than usual upon receiving a call from his landlord. Inspectors had found some issues with the apartment building and the residents were instructed to find temporary housing for the remainder of the week. As a show of good will, the residents were promised free rent for the next two weeks upon their return and they were provided with information and directions to a few hotels that they would be offered discounts for. It wasn't much of an issue for Hiei, having spent many nights in hotels over the course of his business travels.

He was busy loading his belongings into the back of his trunk and had just finished depositing his last bag when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"What's going on?" Botan asked. "Off on another business trip?"

Hiei turned to view the cheery, blue-haired woman. She was dressed in a casual cotton dress and sandals, hair resting in a low ponytail that was thrown over one shoulder and eyes bright like always. Kai was at her side, sucking on a lollipop and staring back at Hiei with curious eyes. They must have been taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood and it figured that they would pass by and see him now of all times. He closed the trunk and crossed his arms over his chest.

"There was an issue with the apartment complex. I'll be staying at the hotel for the week."

"That seems a bit excessive. Especially since you've got a large group of friends and many people to room with," Botan noted.

"There is no need to concern the others with a matter this small," Hiei dismissed.

"Well, what about us?" Botan asked, pointing to herself.

"What?"

"Why don't you try leaning on us for a change?" she suggested. "We are a family - you said it yourself, after all - so if you need a place to stay, you should stay with us."

Hiei's brow furrowed as he frowned at the offhand suggestion. He didn't need to be reminded of his past blunders, and he averted his gaze.

"I already told you that I have a place to stay," he reminded her, although he had a feeling that his words were futile at this point.

"Don't be silly, our apartment is much closer, not to mention free. And it'll be easier for you to get to and from work," Botan insisted.

"Your apartment is small. You don't even have a guest room," Hiei pointed out.

"It's no five star hotel, but you can always stay with Kai in his room," Botan suggested. "You might actually have some fun for once."

Kai brightened immediately, pulling the lollipop from his lips with a smack.

"It'll be awesome," he began excitedly. "I've got a ton of books and games and stuff that you can use. You can even take the bed. I always fall asleep on the couch anyways. Just stay with us!"

Hiei swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue, unwilling to put a damper to the boy's uncontainable enthusiasm. He had always been irrefutable and stubborn, but his iron will weakened and bent when in the presence of family. Kai's purple eyes were brimming with hope and he could not bring himself to darken it with his own stubborn pride. He simply couldn't say no.

"Just for one week..." Hiei agreed, opening the backseat door and motioning for Kai to enter.

Kai let out a victorious cheer before hopping inside and making himself comfortable. Hiei then looked over at Botan, who was smiling at him brightly.

"This will be fun. It'll be like one extended, grand sleepover!" she exclaimed.

"Don't tell the others about this," he warned.

"Alright," she agreed with a determined nod. "It'll be our super secret sleepover."

"Don't call it that," he discouraged.

Botan pouted, throwing her hands on her hips.

"We haven't even gotten home yet and you're already sucking the fun out of everything. Just relax, let loose and enjoy the moment!"

"Easy for you to say, woman, you're not the one who will be rooming with a hyperactive seven year old."

"He can always stay in my room with me," she offered good-naturedly. "I don't mind at all."

Hiei shook his head, remembering how excited Kai had been over the prospect of sharing a room.

"It's fine," he replied, causing Botan's smile to widen.

They both entered the car and Hiei drove to Botan's apartment complex, pulling into the garage and parking in her empty spot. Despite Hiei not really needing any help at all, Kai still insisted on holding something, so Hiei let the boy hold the bag containing his laptop. They rode the dinky elevator to the second floor and then walked down the hallway until they had reached Apartment 2C.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Botan greeted with a dramatic flourish of her arm.

Although his presence at their home was soon becoming routine, he found himself feeling strangely out of place as he stepped inside. This time he wasn't simply stopping by to pick Kai up or to spend a few hours at a gathering, this time he was actually going to be living here for the few days.

"You can leave your stuff in my room," Kai instructed, beckoning Hiei to follow him with a wave of his hand.

Hiei trailed behind the boy, his feet feeling heavy and weighted. Kai set the laptop bag on his dresser, before turning around and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh, it's not really clean..." he started, purple eyes lowered to the floor in embarrassment.

'Not really clean' was an understatement, Hiei noted. Books and magazines lined the child-sized bookshelf, while paperbacks littered the wooden floor. Little trinkets and miscellaneous items were strewn on top of the dresser and one of the dresser drawers was closed haphazardly, causing an article of clothing to stick out. The room looked like a strong gust of wind had passed through it, and judging by the open window, it could have been possible.

"It doesn't matter to me," Hiei replied.

"I'll have it all cleaned up before bedtime, though," Kai promised. "I know you like when things are organized."

Hiei raised a brow.

"How would you know that?"

"Your entire apartment is clean and nothing is ever out of place," Kai remembered.

"Hn."

He supposed the boy was more observant than he gave him credit for. It wasn't hard to keep his place clean when he had minimal decorations and belongings. He simply preferred an uncluttered and clean environment and it was plainly obvious that Kai preferred the direct opposite.

"I'll let you get settled..." Kai announced.

Hiei watched as the boy exited the room before he moved to deposit his things in the far left corner. He gave the room a look over, not quite ready to join the woman and the boy yet. The blue walls contained posters and pictures of the things that Kai was currently interested in, like the far reaches of outer space and what dwelled at the bottom of the ocean. The bed was situated in the middle of the room, the unmade sheets ruffled and thrown about carelessly and a single stuffed animal seated on top of one of the pillows.

The kid wasn't kidding when he said that blue was his favorite color. The walls, unruly bed sheets, stuffed animal and backpack were all varying shades of the color. Hiei moved to the half-open closet and set about hanging his work clothes up beside Kai's school uniforms. By the time he had finished, Botan called him outside for dinner.

She had laid out three dishes on the small, circular dining table that moonlighted for her workspace. Kai had just finished pouring a drink into the last glass when Hiei approached them.

"Leftovers from yesterday. Yusuke came over and brought a ton of food with him," Botan stated. "Are you hungry?"

Hiei hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime and that was hours ago. He was planning on getting a meal at the hotel, but that obviously was not going to happen anymore.

He nodded wordlessly and they all took their seats. The meal was a stir-fry dish that's simple look concealed its complex flavor. Kai filled in the silences, telling them about school and the newest book that he was reading. Botan inserted her own comments and questions in between listening intently and nodding him on.

When dinner was finished, Hiei set his laptop to charge in the living room and went to take a quick shower. He had made it all of two steps inside, before the woman brushed past him in order to yank an item off of the doorknob. He barely made out the sight of a frilly, pink bra as she hid it behind her back and slowly retreated out of the room with a sheepish grin.

He truly didn't understand her skittish reaction. It wasn't as though this was the first time he had seen something like that.

"I forgot that was there," she muttered, face flushed in embarrassment. "Er… anyway, warm water to the left, cold to the right. If you need anything, let me know."

Nodding, he closed the door behind him.

The small bathroom was clean enough, complete with white porcelain fixings. There were an awful lot of sweet scented items; ranging from soaps, hair-care products and lotions. He managed to find the least offensive ones and spent ten minutes in the shower before drying off and changing into a pair of loose fitting pants and a white t-shirt. He threw his dirty clothes in the lavender colored plastic hamper and hung his towel on the free hook behind the door. It felt extremely weird to be in the woman's apartment, using her amenities and making himself at home, but he had little choice in the matter at this point.

Steeling himself, he prepared to open the door and face whatever chaos was ensuing on the other side. He was wholly surprised to find that the apartment was blanketed by silence. Kai was lounging comfortably on the couch with a thick book in his little hands and a slice of apple in between his lips while Botan took up residence at the dining table, typing away on her laptop.

He expected his time here to be unruly and loud, but this was different. He appreciated the quiet, but even more so, he was surprised to see the calmness in both Botan and Kai. The woman was chewing on her bottom lip as she paused in her writing, seemingly lost in thought. She pushed her glasses higher up on her nose and then continued typing, her fingers moving in rapid precision. He briefly wondered what she was writing about, fully well knowing that this living situation incident would somehow be divulged in that column of hers. Even though it was still fairly new, Haru had already taken a liking to it and had often teased Hiei about how thrilling the adventures of " _Hiten_ " were. If his recent living conditions made their way into the column, he would never hear the end of it.

Off to Hiei's right, Kai matched Botan's concentrated look with one of his own. He must have been on a particular tense moment in the story, eyes slightly narrowed and lost in the print on the page. He had nestled himself in the corner of the sofa, right where the arm and the backrest connected, and it was easy to assume that this was the boy's designated spot.

Hiei moved to unplug his laptop and decided to take a seat on the other half of the couch, beside Kai. He noticed the corner of Botan's lips quirking upwards at his actions, but neither of them spoke about it. As he logged into his work applications, nothing but the clicking of keys and the turning of pages punctuated the relaxed quietude. He found himself leaning into the cushions of the couch, his shoulders falling slightly.

This wasn't so bad, he realized as he glanced over at Kai one more time.

* * *

It was a very productive Tuesday for Botan. As usual, she stopped by to see Yusuke at around eleven, knowing that the lunch rush had yet to begin. He filled her in on what the rest of the gang had been up to and they spent a little time shooting the breeze until the customers started pouring in. When she returned home, she had gotten a huge head start on the columns for the next two weeks and had edited them in order to suit the paper's guidelines. When Kai arrived, she took a break from writing to hear about his day and prepare him a snack.

Then it was back to work. She had written about a lot of things over the course of the day, but as it stood, she found herself writing an awful lot about Hiei. She supposed it was natural. He was Kai's father and subsequently an integral part of their lives and they had been spending a lot of time together lately. Their new living conditions certainly added to the man's sudden presence in the forefront of her mind. He was a welcomed guest and, as his host, she was supposed to ensure that his stay was a comfortable and pleasant one.

Last night he had ended up sleeping on a futon that Botan laid out beside Kai's bed. Kai had kindly and generously offered the comforts of his own bed, but Hiei simply refused to take it. She hoped that the futon was comfortable enough. He didn't seem to have any complaints when he left earlier this morning and she supposed that was a good enough sign. Botan looked down at her watch; it was almost six o'clock and still hadn't shown up. She wondered when he might be home, but then remembered that he was a bit of a workaholic.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Botan had given Hiei a key for the sake of convenience, so it couldn't have been him.

"Coming!" she called out, before hurrying over to the door and opening it. Standing in the hallway was her favorite brunette. "Shizuru! What are you doing here?"

"I come bearing gifts," she said, displaying the bottle of red wine in her hands. "It's been a while, so I decided to drop by. Yukina's on the night shift so she couldn't make it."

"Well, come on in," Botan ushered with a wave of her hand, appreciative of the company.

Shizuru set the wine down on the table as Botan went to get two glasses for them. She didn't have any fancy cheese or crackers and upon searching her cupboards, the only snacks she found were some off-brand cookies that Kai liked. Shrugging, she pulled it out anyway and set the items down next to the wine.

"How are things?" Shizuru asked, settling down on the couch and dropping her purse off to the side.

"They're great. I was just working on my column before you came," Botan said, taking a seat beside her.

"I hope I didn't interrupt."

"Nonsense, I'm way ahead of schedule anyway, and I-" Botan paused midsentence to sniff at the air experimentally. Her eyes narrowed sternly and she put on her best motherly tone. "Have you been smoking young lady?"

"Relax, it was only one," Shizuru confessed calmly, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder in defiance.

Botan frowned as she fanned the woman.

"You know Kai doesn't like it when you smoke," she chastised.

"Where is he anyway?" Shizuru questioned, looking around at the empty apartment.

"In the shower," Botan said, amethyst eyes glancing over at the closed bathroom door. "Which means we've got time to air you out."

Shizuru sighed in resignation, moving to a standing position as Botan went to retrieve one of her body spray mists. Smoking was a habit that Shizuru found hard to quit, so she never faulted her for it. Kai, however, was an entirely different story. He went off on a rant about the damaging effects of first and second hand smoke when he had become privy to the elder Kuwabara sibling's nicotine addiction. His concern truly touched Shizuru and she had appeared to be cutting back because of it. She picked out the sweetest smelling scent and began spraying Shizuru with it. She then opened up the windows and allowed the floral scent to diffuse within the entire apartment.

She was in the middle of sending one last mist of spray on an unsuspecting Shizuru when the front door unlocked and was opened by none other than Hiei. The bluette's mouth fell open when she remembered that Hiei did not want anyone to know about his temporary stay here.

"Hiei…" she greeted shakily, looking between him and Shizuru. "Um… I invited him for dinner. I completely forgot."

Shizuru raised a slender brow.

"Really?"

"Um… yes?" Botan tried lamely.

Shizuru turned to face Hiei, crossing her arms over her chest as she examined him.

"So, tell me: how long have you been staying here?"

"Hiei's not staying here!" Botan tried to cut in quickly.

"…Two days," Hiei admitted.

"How did you know?" Botan wondered, shoulders falling in disappointment.

"He came in with a spare key and I can see the futon through the open door of Kai's room," Shizuru replied. "It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"As to be expected, your deduction skills are second to none," Botan praised, before lowering her voice and whispering to Shizuru. "His apartment building is being renovated and I offered him a place to stay here. He didn't want it broadcasted, though. You know how he is."

"I understand."

Moments later, Kai exited the bathroom. He was drying his damp hair with a towel, when he paused to regard everyone else. The boy took one look at Shizuru and the bottle of wine on the table and his expression darkened. He took on that slightly disturbed and panicked look that caused the color to drain from his face and Botan had to bite the inside of her cheek to hold back a giggle.

"Hi Shizuru," Kai said quickly, avoiding eye contact as he made an immediate beeline for his room. "Bye Shizuru."

The door closed behind him immediately and the two women exchanged amused glances.

"What was that about?" Hiei inquired.

"Kai hates it when we sit around and talk about romance and girly things," Botan laughed. "Though I suppose I can't blame him given his age and gender."

"He runs away the first chance he can get when he realizes what's about to occur," Shizuru added.

Hiei took one look at them and then apparently decided to make himself scarce as well. He knocked on Kai's door and entered upon the boy's answer.

"Like father, like son," Shizuru said amusedly as the two women settled on the couch.

They had a grand time chatting and laughing amongst themselves, only spotting Kai or Hiei during their respective trips to the kitchen or bathroom. It was nearly midnight and the entire apartment was dark, save for the light of the muted television, when Shizuru decided to take her leave. Botan hugged the taller woman and told her to stop by anytime. Shizuru nodded, promising to take her up on that offer before leaving.

Botan didn't bother putting any lights on as she went to the kitchen to get some water, fully capable of navigating through the area with ease. She had not expected to walk directly into something firm and warm, though. Her hands gripped the foreign object for balance and she let out a gasp when she realized what, or, in this case, _who_ it was.

"Hiei?"

"Quiet," he ordered, flicking on the lights. "Don't wake the boy."

Botan squinted at the sudden influx of light and when she had finally adjusted to the change, she let out a squeal. Slapping a hand over her eyes, she pointed her free hand at Hiei.

"Why aren't you wearing any clothing you pervert?" she nearly shrieked.

"I am wearing clothing, woman," he gritted in response.

"Underwear only doesn't cut it!"

"It's no different than what you'd see at the beach."

"Well, this isn't the beach. This is my apartment and we wear _pajamas_ to bed here."

He scoffed.

"I didn't realize you were such a prude."

"I am not a prude!" she countered, pulling her hands away in her ire to glare at him. "I just know what common decency is."

Hiei rolled his eyes, but did not say anything in response. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and Botan couldn't help but notice the way his muscles flexed slightly with that one simple action. Her glare lessened as she took in the sight of his bare torso and chest. Was Hiei always this toned and fit? Where did he even find the time to workout? She thought he just sat at his desk all day ordering people around, but if that were the case he certainly wouldn't have such prominent abdominal muscles. Maybe he-

"Hn. You're staring, so I suppose you really aren't that much of a prude after all."

She snapped out of it quickly enough and shook her head.

"I wasn't staring, I was just… um…" she tried to defend herself, before shaking her head. "A-anyway, what are you still doing up? It's pretty late."

"Water," he answered, pointing to the bottles of water lined up on the counter behind her.

"Same here," she said, making sure to keep her eyes fixed on his and nowhere else.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments and when Hiei lessened the distance between them, Botan was thrown completely off guard. She took a step backwards until she was cornered between Hiei and the counter. Her heart sped up erratically when he leaned forward and lessened the distance between them.

"Hiei, what are you doing? This isn't-"

All protests died in her throat and her brain short-circuited when Hiei brushed against her. He leaned an arm out and she tensed, holding her breath and waiting for the inevitable. The corner of his mouth extended into a smirk and he pulled away, a single water bottle secured in his grip. Botan's jaw dropped at his audacious behavior, hands balling into fists at her side. That sly smirk remained on his face as he exited the kitchen and Botan resisted the urge to chuck an apple at the back of his retreating form.

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and clear her head as she leaned against the counter. He was just messing with her in typical Hiei fashion; there was no reason to get all worked up over it. Reaching for her own bottle, she uncapped it and took a few gulps before letting out another exhale and exiting the kitchen.

When she invited Hiei to stay for a few nights, she had completely disregarded the fact that he was a man and she was a woman and such awkward situations could arise. She had allowed him to stay here out of the goodness of her heart and he certainly didn't have to tease her like that!

As she walked past Kai's room, she glared at the door, hoping that Hiei could somehow feel her ire.

* * *

On Wednesday evening, Botan thought that she could put the entire awkward situation behind her. She had done a splendid job keeping it locked away in the back of her mind and going about her business as usual, until she saw Kai do something peculiar later that night.

"Uh, Kai, what are you doing?"

She watched him turn to her without a care in the world, donned in nothing but his superman logo-ed underwear.

"Nothing?" he replied with a nonchalant roll of his shoulders.

"Where are the rest of your clothes?" she pressed.

"I don't need anything else. Hiei sleeps like this, too," Kai reasoned.

"Hiei's a grown man and can take care of himself if he gets sick. You're younger and more susceptible to falling ill from the draft in here. Aren't you cold?"

"No," he lied, purple eyes moving downward and away from Botan.

"Kai..." she started warningly, fixing him with a pointed look.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little cold," the boy admitted with a pout.

"Then I suggest you put some pants and a shirt on," Botan instructed.

"Oh fine," he relented, trudging back to his room with a defeated sigh.

She heard him rummaging through his dresser drawers and let out a mirthful giggle at the entire situation.

"It is pretty cute that you're imitating Hiei now, though," she teased.

"I wasn't trying to be cute!" he answered back. Soon enough he returned to the living area, tugging a long sleeved green shirt over his head. "I was just trying to be a man."

"You've got plenty of time for that. You should enjoy your childhood while you can," Botan advised. "Besides, I love you just the way you are. All cute and mini-sized!"

Kai's nose scrunched up in displeasure as he shook his head adamantly.

"Not cute!" he muttered under his breath.

"You're totally cute," Botan insisted as she pinched his cheek.

The two were interrupted when Hiei arrived, carrying a box of pizza in his hands. Kai immediately perked up, his earlier discontent long forgotten as he stared at the older man.

"You remembered!" Kai grinned, running over to take the box from Hiei. "Thanks!"

"That was sweet of you to buy us dinner," Botan noted, removing her laptop and paperwork from the dining table so that Kai could set the pizza down there.

"The boy asked for it this morning," he answered, toeing his shoes off and dropping his keys on the small entrance table.

When Kai opened up the cardboard box, Botan's eyes widened in surprise. The pie was a mixture of four meat slices, two Hawaiian slices and two plain slices. It was a very specific order, one that Hiei couldn't have made on a whim. She had mentioned that she loved Hawaiian and Kai only ate plain slices once when the group was together, but she didn't think that Hiei was paying attention at all.

"Did Kai tell you that Hawaiian was my favorite?" she asked, curiosity overtaking her.

"You said it before," Hiei replied, confirming the fact that he had, in fact, been listening.

"Right," she nodded. A strange sensation fluttered in the pit of her stomach and she tried to ignore it. "Thanks."

Hiei nodded, taking a seat at the table.

"Mm, this is really good," Kai said through a mouthful of cheesy pizza.

Hiei spared a glance in the boy's direction, his eyes lingering on him for longer than normal. She wondered what he was thinking in that moment, but then he looked away impassively. The three ate their dinner together and without much talking, before they went about their own separate business. Botan did the remainder of the dishes and tidied up the kitchen while Hiei took his turn in the shower. By the time he had finished fogging up the bathroom – she had learned that both he and Kai loved hot showers – she was already working on her column again. She figured that Hiei would squeeze some more work in as well, but he settled on the couch and flipped through the channels leisurely. She had every intention of finishing this last piece, when she caught sight of a familiar program.

"Oh my gosh, I love this show! Turn up the volume!" she urged, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" he replied, but as he fulfilled her request by raising the volume up.

"A little break never killed anyone!" she sing-songed, settling next to him.

"This is pure trash," he spat, peeling his eyes away from the scene of one of the many contenders on a date with the bachelor and setting his gaze on her. "Do you let Kai watch this?"

"Of course not," Botan denied, pushing her reading glasses up on her head and making herself comfortable on the couch. "This is my guilty pleasure. It's fun watching all these women pretend to fall in love with a rich bachelor."

"You're deranged, you know that?"

"Not any more than you are, Mr. Nudist," she retorted.

"Hn."

A contented silence fell over the two as they sat shoulder to shoulder and finished an episode of The Bachelor. She thought back to their first meeting months ago and would have never thought that they could be so comfortable with each other now. It was a nice feeling. They were ten minutes into a new drama-filled episode when Hiei finally scoffed, turning his eyes away from the television.

"This is ridiculous."

"But it's addicting," she said, nudging him playfully.

"It's really not," he countered, swatting her arm away.

He reached for the remote that was sitting on the couch between them, but Botan was able to snatch it before he had a chance to. She knew that Hiei was definitely stronger than her, so when he moved to pull the control from her grip, she did the only thing that was guaranteed to stop him: she shoved it inside of her shirt, wedging the tiny device halfway inside of her bra.

"Really, woman?" he blinked, clearly not amused.

"Yes, really," said, before sticking her tongue out at him for good measure.

"You're misguided if you believe that something as simple as concealing the remote within your bust will stop me."

Botan's eyes widened and her brows rounded.

"That's no way to treat a lady!"

"I've done far worse with a woman, I can tell you that much."

"Pervert!" she yelled, throwing her arms over her chest and forming an "x" with them in an attempt to shield herself.

Hiei rolled his eyes and he leaned away, apparently finished flustering her for the day. Botan inched a little further away from him, keeping a wary eye on his hands as she did so.

"Relax, woman, you aren't my type," Hiei said calmly.

Botan's mouth fell open in a mixture of disbelief and indignation.

"Not your type?" she echoed, shooting him affronted glare. "Well, that's not very nice of you to say, Hiei. I've been told I'm very pretty by lots of guys."

"I never said that you weren't."

Botan blinked.

"You think that I'm pretty?"

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

"And you're missing the point entirely."

The point – ah, yes, Hiei said that she wasn't his type. She found herself feeling horribly misjudged and insulted at his claim and her frown returned.

"Am I too loud and cheerful?" she inquired, before tilting her head and pointing to her hair. "Is my hair too blue for you?"

Hiei looked over at her as though he were contemplating her question, before shaking his head.

"You and I are just far too different."

She had expected him to say something insulting about her personality or maturity level, but his vague statement only left her curiosity unfulfilled. She pulled the remote control out from her shirt and set it on the side furthest away Hiei, before folding her arms over chest.

"Being different isn't necessarily a bad thing you know," she tried.

Hiei didn't answer immediately, but his gaze lingered on her form with an intensity that prompted her to look away. Those crimson orbs were always so guarded, so far from her understanding, and she wished she knew what he was thinking in that moment.

"You know that I'm not a good person, woman," he said finally, his expression unchanging. "I don't see why the question of our compatibility bothers you so much."

Botan paused to consider what he had just revealed, heart sinking as she replayed his words in her mind. She certainly didn't think that Hiei was a bad person, but it appeared as though he believed it to be true. Sure, he was rough around the edges and blunt, but there was so much more to him than that.

"I think you're counting yourself out, Hiei," Botan said softly, resisting the urge to pat his back or touch his hand comfortingly. "There is a lot of good in you and if you won't trust yourself, then trust me. Trust Kai and Yukina. Trust all of your friends who do see the good in you."

Hiei's crimson eyes flickered briefly but the emotion was short-lived that she could not classify it. He returned his gaze to the television.

"This really is trash," he said, changing the topic of conversation to something less heavy.

Botan nodded understandingly.

"That's why it's so fun to watch," she grinned.

"Hn."

She settled back into the couch and glanced at Hiei from the corner of her eye. He was always so confident and self-assured when it came to his skills and capabilities, and she honestly could not understand how he could not see the strongpoints in his own character. He was an excellent brother, a great friend and he was learning to be the father that Kai needed. He didn't need to be any better than that, because he was enough in Botan's eyes.

* * *

Hiei had come to the firm conclusion that temporarily living with Botan and Kai was not such a bad thing. He was, admittedly, dragged into watching a few movies with them and participating in a lot of conversations, but it was strangely easy to talk to both of them. Botan was nosy and a nag, just as Yusuke had always claimed, but she had a way of making everything seem lighthearted and not as drastic as he perceived it to be. Kai's carefree innocence and childlike wonder was very different from what Hiei dealt with on a daily basis, but he did not find it bothersome. He even tolerated Kai's daily divulging of his day and found himself enjoying the sound of the boy's voice.

It could have been worse; he could have been stuck with Yusuke and Kuwabara at their apartment. He didn't have the patience or the will to even begin to wonder what that would have been like. Botan's apartment was an obvious step up from that dismal option and he had saved money and time with the shorter commute to and from work.

In these few short days, Hiei had gotten accustomed to Kai's routine and habits. The boy was always up and ready without ever needing any prompting from Botan on school days. His homework was usually completed by the time Hiei had returned home from work and after lounging around for a while, he would finally shower and get himself ready for bed. After Botan tucked him in and he should have been sleeping, Kai would spend an extra thirty minutes reading a book with the use of a flashlight. Hiei had a feeling that Botan was well aware of it, because when the flashlight's batteries ran low, they had mysteriously been replaced.

Hiei had also learned a lot more about the boy's personality. While Kai was perfectly capable of easily occupying himself and proving his independence, he was always ready for some type of interaction and companionship when prompted. He listened to Botan's instructions and tried not to give her any trouble if he could avoid it. He got excited over his cartoon shows and children's movies and he enjoyed playing games. He often tried to stay in touch with Yukina and the others through the use of Botan's cellphone and was pretty savvy with all sorts of technology. Kai preferred sweets and junk over actual, healthy, food and chose heavily carbonated drinks over water when allowed. He had a habit of falling asleep on the couch and more often than not, he mumbled in his sleep.

Hiei was surprised to learn that they both possessed the same type of work ethic and style. They started a task and set about completing it before the target date, where as Botan got distracted easily and then was left to rush and panic until she had made her deadline. He found himself leaving the office at a reasonable hour and being able to cram in extra work on the nights that all three of them sat quietly and went about their own business.

Although he had learned a good deal about the way that the Himura household worked, he still never knew what to expect with the two of them, so he was wholly unsurprised when he came home on _Friday_ evening to find the place in chaos. Kai had greeted him at the door with a grin on his face and when he walked further inside, Hiei noticed that the kitchen was in a state of disarray.

The cabinet doors were left wide open and the counter was littered with spices and seasonings. Bottled sauces and cooking utensils were scattered around the area and a knocked over bottle of cooking oil was spilling onto the vegetables that were strewn out on the cutting board. The pot of pasta had boiled to the point that the water overflowed and Botan quickly ran to turn the heat off. There was a smudge of red sauce on the ridge of the woman's nose as well as on Kai's left cheek.

"What are you two doing?" Hiei finally questioned.

"We were trying to cook, but it's a lot harder than it seems," Botan revealed. Her hair was falling out of its haphazard bun as she spoke.

Hiei did recall Kai mentioned that the woman couldn't cook, so he should not have been surprised that she was failing so horribly at it.

"Kai's a child so he can be excused, but you, woman, seem to be incapable of carrying out even the most simple of tasks."

Botan threw her hands on her hips with a huff.

"If you think it's so easy, why don't you give it a try Mr. Tough Guy?"

He wasn't falling for the bait, but then he heard the unmistakable sound of hunger as Kai's stomach growled. The boy quickly clutched his midsection as pink dusted his cheeks.

"That wasn't ... I'm not really hungry, it was my spleen. It does that," Kai said hurriedly.

"Spleens don't make noise," Botan whispered.

"Mine does, it's special," he lied as his stomach grumbled again.

Hiei rolled his eyes before pulling his sleeves up proceeding to wash his hands at the sink. He then took up residence near the cutting board and began chopping the vegetables that were strewn out around it.

"Wow, how'd you get so good?" Kai asked, taking a step closer to examine Hiei's technique.

"Practice."

He could feel Botan's eyes on him as well, and he froze in his ministrations.

"If you're both going to stand there like gaping fish, you might as well make yourselves useful," he ordered.

The two immediately moved into action, taking up positions beside him with eager eyes.

"What should I do?" Kai asked first.

"You can grate the cheese," he told Kai, before looking at Botan. "And you had better just set the table. I don't trust you to do anything else."

Botan sighed in frustration, but stomped out towards the table regardless. Hiei resisted the urge to smirk as he watched her go, finding a small shred of amusement in riling her up. He had mocked Kuwabara countlessly over the years, but taunting Botan resulted in a different brand of satisfaction. His scathing remarks lacked their usual disdain and her corresponding irritation never seemed to be long-lived.

He always knew that she was a peculiar woman and living with her for the past few days only served to maintain that point. She was outspoken and outgoing, but she had these uncharacteristic moments where timidity and uncertainty overtook her. He found it interesting that he could make her become so nervous in the first place, and it was an effective method for quieting that loud mouth of hers.

"Done!" Kai announced, drawing Hiei out of his thoughts as he brought over the bowl of freshly grated cheese. "How'd I do?"

"Good," Hiei answered with a nod of his head.

Kai set the bowl down on the counter in the same moment that Botan returned to the kitchen. She had a forced smile on her face as she bended into a mock bow.

"The table is set, master, is there anything else that this humble servant can do for you?" Botan asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"You can clean this place up," Hiei instructed, raising the knife from the cutting board to gesture towards the disorderly state of the kitchen. "It's a mess."

"Told you he was a neat-freak," Kai blurted out to Botan.

"He sure is," she agreed.

Hiei glared at the both of them and they immediately got to work, tidying up the area as he continued cooking.

It was clear that Botan was going for an Italian theme – most likely for Kai, who seemed to enjoy the food immensely during their evening at the Italian restaurant – so Hiei made a simple spaghetti dish with chicken Parmesan and a salad on the side. The trio ate in comfortable silence around the dining table. Kai hadn't talked as much, but he had been stifling his yawns all throughout dinner and Hiei assumed that he must have had a tiring day. As per usual, Kai showered while Hiei and Botan took care of the dishes and packed away the leftovers. When Hiei returned to the living room, he was not at all surprised to see the boy sprawled out on the couch, completely lost in dreams while an abandoned book lay on his left side.

"I didn't know you were such an expert in the kitchen," Botan said as she joined him in the living room.

"I'm not an expert," he replied. "I simply have a sufficient set of culinary skills, unlike you."

"It's still pretty impressive," she acknowledged. "When did you learn?"

"When I was a younger."

"Did you take a class in school or something?"

"No."

"Did you learn it to impress a girl?" she teased, poking him lightly in the arm.

"... No, but it was for the sake of a woman," he answered honestly.

Botan gasped in surprise, her interest piqued as she stepped closer to him.

"Was she an older, sultry type? Were you trying to prove that you were mature and could take care of yourself? Did she say she would only consider dating you if you bested her in the culinary arts?"

Hiei shook his head. When she rattled off questions like that, she reminded him of Kai.

"Do you want me to tell you the reason or would you rather continue guessing aimlessly?" he asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Botan pursed her lips together and nodded at him encouragingly.

"Do tell," she encouraged.

"Our mother was sick and Yukina was taking care of her day and night. I wasn't suited to caring for the sick nor did I have the proper bedside manner. This was the least I could do to contribute."

"Oh Hiei," Botan whispered softly, her brows knotting in concern. "I had no idea."

"No one does, other than Yukina."

"But you told me?"

"You were the only one who asked."

She appeared to be strangely affected by his words and he himself wasn't entirely sure as to why he had told her such private details. It was entirely unlike him to do so.

"You know, you keep surprising me," Botan admitted. "You have a lot of desirable qualities in a father: steady job and benefits, a great home. You're responsible and resolute and you can even cook. Compared to me, you're the better parent out of us two."

"Those are just superficial things. You take care of him in the way that matters most," Hiei said as he picked up the blanket that had fallen to the ground and deposited it over Kai's sleeping form.

"It looks as though you're figuring it all out in your own way and in your own time," Botan noted, a knowing smile stretched across her lips.

Hiei froze at her admission, eyes drifting down at Kai in surprise before snapping out of it.

"You should learn to cook," he said instead. "It's unbecoming-"

"-Don't you dare finish that sexist thought," she warned.

"-of someone your age," he finished.

Botan's shoulders slumped.

"I never had a dire need for it until now," she pouted, cheeks puffing out in annoyance.

"Unless you want our son to grow up to be an obese diabetic, I suggest you make it a priority to learn how to cook. He can't live on takeout and frozen dinners forever."

"You're right," she agreed with a nod, looking down at Kai fondly as he began to stir in his sleep.

"Ready for bed?" she asked him, leaning forward slightly with a soft smile.

Kai looked up at her through half-lidded eyes and nodded his head, not even bothering to put up a front this time around. Hiei watched the boy drag his feet all the way to the bathroom, before the sound of his phone prompted him to look away. Stuffing a hand into his pocket, he pulled out the device and opened up the new message he had received from his landlord. An uncharacteristic regret passed over him as he read the words that should have brought him relief, but he buried the feeling in order to regard Botan.

"The construction is finished," he informed her.

"That was fast," she said blinking in surprise.

"Hn."

"It was nice having you here. I almost wish you could stay for a little longer, but that's silly," Botan professed, looking back at him unsurely. "Isn't it?"

Hiei ignored her sentiment, only because he did not want to admit that her train of thought had been dangerously close to his own.

"I owe you," he said instead, all business as usual.

"No, you don't." Botan shook her head. "This is what friends are for."

She really had no intentions of giving up when it came to being his friend. He supposed that he knew enough about her to classify themselves as more than simple acquaintances. In fact, he probably knew more about her than the others, like the fact that she was not much of a morning person or that she liked to sing songs about love in the shower. He doubted that anyone knew about her habit of humming the most annoying radio jingles and commercial tunes when cleaning and folding laundry or the way she played with the ends of her hair when she was bored. No one but Kai and himself had witnessed how steadfast her focus was when she was in a writing zone and the inspiration had hit her. No one else knew that she-

"Hey," Botan started, excitement lighting up her eyes as she pointed a finger at him. "You didn't deny the fact that we're friends this time!"

He had yet to confirm the fact that they were friends, either. After all, simply knowing a good deal of information about the woman did not make them friends. But somewhere along the way, she had stopped feeling like the enemy. Somehow, that foreboding sense that he had always experienced when in her presence had disappeared completely and spending time with her became second nature. He resisted the urge to scoff. Perhaps they really were friends.

"I don't deny it because I know that it is a wasted effort," he resigned, concealing his phone within his pants' pocket. "You will always think what you want in the end."

Botan grinned.

* * *

Hiei packed up his things and returned to his home on Saturday morning. That first day without him was strangely lonely. Botan could tell that Kai missed him too, so they decided to do something fun that evening and had invited Kuwabara and Yukina over. They ended up playing board games and having a grand old time.

The next day was a bit more difficult, seeing as Kai had a play date over at Amanuma's house and Botan was left with nothing but the empty silence of the apartment. She couldn't concentrate on her writing and every thought led back to the stoic, black-haired man. She looked over to what she had deemed to be his side of the couch and frowned, before shaking her head. She needed a distraction. Something to do.

 _"Unless you want our son to grow up to be an obese diabetic, I suggest you make it a priority to learn how to cook. He can't live on takeout and frozen dinners forever."_

Aha!

She typed a quick search into the web browser's search bar, and clicked on the links that looked the most promising. After speed-reading through a few articles, she had found some recipes that looked easy enough.

From then on, whenever she had taken to thinking of Hiei, she started on a new recipe. In the week that followed she had gotten the hang of a few dishes and had even made bentos for Shizuru, Yukina, Kurama and Kuwabara. She wasn't confident enough to test her skills out against Yusuke's discerning palate, but she was on the verge of it. This cooking thing wasn't so bad, especially considering all the practice she had gotten in on account of the increasing and unwanted thoughts of Hiei.

"Can we get these?" Kai asked, holding up a bag of chips and pulling Botan back to the present.

They were searching for snacks and other items at their local convenience store. Kai had been eating his fair share of vegetables and healthy foods and Botan decided to reward him with some snacks. Everything in moderation, right? Amethyst eyes blinked down at the bag of chips that Kai had chosen, before narrowing in a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Calamari flavored, really?" she asked.

"Amanuma said they're really tasty!" Kai insisted with a determined nod.

"Well, sure. Whatever floats your boat," she conceded. She could never say no to him.

Kai let out a victorious cheer and her own smile extended from ear to ear. The boy stopped mid-cheer, before looking off to the side and waving at someone in the distance. Botan followed his line of sight, eyes widening at the sight of Hiei at the end of the aisle. She hadn't seen him since the morning he had left her apartment, not by choice, but by happenstance. Hiei looked the same as always; same black hair, same angular red eyes, same impassive expression, but even so, she was happy to see him.

"Stocking up on junk; I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he stated by way of greeting.

Her eyes trailed down to rest on the box of cookies in his hands and she placed her hands on her hips.

"You're not much better yourself, mister," Botan countered.

"These are for him," Hiei explained as his crimson gaze moved to regard Kai.

The blue-haired boy pointed to himself.

"Really? For me?"

Hiei averted his gaze and Botan resisted the urge to giggle. His mouth pulled down slightly, but it only served to soften his face into an expression that was actually sort of cute.

"You complained about everything in my apartment," he mentioned bitterly.

"That's because all of your snacks were really weird," Kai recalled, face scrunching up in disgust.

"They were healthy; there's a difference," Hiei replied.

"Hn," Kai grunted stubbornly.

"Hiei's got a point, though," Botan inserted. "If you want to grow up to be big and strong, you've got to eat right."

"And you have to cook actual meals for him," Hiei accused, turning towards her.

"I'm getting better on that front, right Kai?"

"She didn't burn the eggs today," he pointed out dutifully.

Botan grinned proudly with her chin high in the air, but Hiei's expression did not deviate from its unimpressed state.

"Anyway, I've been practicing for the past few days," she revealed. "I even made a bento for the others and they all liked enjoyed it."

"Or they were doing you an injustice by sparing your feelings," he taunted.

"They were not and I can prove it to you," Botan countered confidently. "Come over tonight and have dinner with us."

Hiei's smirk faded.

"What?"

"Have dinner with us," she maintained.

When Hiei failed to answer, Botan frowned self-consciously.

"Did I say something wrong? We used to have dinner together all the time when you stayed at my place," she recalled.

"That was different," he said vaguely.

"Is it a problem if I invite you over? I'm sure Kai would love it," she reasoned.

Kai looked up from the bag of chips that he was inspecting upon hearing his name. He locked his expectant gaze onto Hiei and the latter nodded in acceptance. It seemed as though Kai was quickly becoming one of his triggers in the same manner that Yukina was.

"I'll go," he decided. "Try not to burn the place down before I arrive."

Her smile dropped and she balled her hands into fists at her side.

"That was only one time and it wasn't that bad!"

"Hn."

Two hours later, Hiei had arrived and dinner was hot and ready for consumption.

"Tada!" Botan sang as she motioned towards the three dishes laid out on the table. She went for a simple curry rice dish with stewed beef and vegetables. She watched with baited breath as Kai and Hiei picked up their spoons and dug in.

"It's really good," Kai said, in between mouthfuls.

"Thank you," she replied, before looking over at Hiei. "How about you?"

"It's edible, which is a feat in and of itself for you," he replied.

"And I suppose that's as good as I will get from you," she pouted, before taking her seat and picking up her spoon. She scooped up some curry rice and veggies and proceeded to taste the end result of her efforts. Her eyes lit up and she was sure her taste buds would be dancing for joy if they could. It was really good and she mentally patted herself on the back.

The three of them finished their meals in relative silence and it was almost unbelievable how comfortable and natural it felt. She missed this and she wondered if a small part of Hiei did too. She didn't dare ask him that, though, knowing that he would never admit it if he did.

"Do you want to stick around for a little while?" Botan asked.

"I have some time to spare," Hiei replied.

"Awesome, I wanted to show you my book report. I worked really hard on it!" Kai mentioned as he motioned for Hiei to follow him to his room.

"And I've got an article to finish," she remembered. "As soon as I finish cleaning up the kitchen."

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"You cooked," he stated. "I will clean it up."

"…If you insist."

She watched Hiei take the plates and deposit them in the sink before he moved to join Kai in his room. Botan listened to Kai's ramblings, already having heard what his report was about, as she set up her laptop and pulled up a document that she'd been working on all day. This entire scene felt so… domestic. She would be lying if she said that she did not like this new side to Hiei and she wondered if any of the others were privy to it as well. Did they know all about his orderly and neat habits like she did, down to the efficient and space-saving way he had organized his files on his laptop. Did they know that he secretly liked milk chocolate and only bothered with cherry-flavored candies? Did they know about his habit of taking extremely hot showers that fogged up the entire bathroom despite already having a body temperature that was higher than most? Or how cute he looked in the mornings with his bedhead and sleep lidded eyes?

She paused in her train of thought. That was twice now that she had thought of Hiei as cute. If he had the ability to read minds, he would surely have some choice words for her right about now. She shivered at the thought, shaking her head and resolving to resume her work. That is, she would have, if work were there to begin with. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the blank document before; the one that should have been filled with text because she had been working on it all day.

"No!" she groaned in dismay as she clicked the "undo" button over and over again, but to no avail. "This can't be happening!"

"What is it?" Hiei asked.

"I lost the piece I've been working on all day!" she complained, throwing her face into her hands and letting out another groan. "This is horrible. Now I'll have to start all over and I know that it won't be as good as the first draft..."

She continued to rant, while Hiei leaned over her to press a few keys. She didn't know why he even bothered. Her work was gone, vanished, lost forever within the void of-

"There, it's fixed and saved."

When she spotted the recovered document safe and sound on her desktop, she spun around and threw her arms around the black-haired man. As she hugged him tightly, she ignored the fact that he had gone stiff.

"Get off of me, woman," he ordered.

Botan released her hold, smiling from ear to ear.

"You're a genius!" she praised.

"Hn."

"Seriously, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. I could hug you again just thinking of it!"

"Don't," he warned warily.

"What's the matter? Is the big, scary managing director afraid of a little human contact?" she teased as she rose from her chair.

Hiei distanced himself from her, but Botan was trailing him expertly. She knew that Hiei wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy and she supposed that she should have preserved his boundaries, but this was long overdue. He had gotten the upper hand with that half-nude stunt he had pulled on her in the kitchen before and now it was time for some payback.

"Hm, maybe you're ticklish," she wondered as she inched forward, wiggling her fingers mockingly.

"Woman," he ground warningly as he took another step backwards.

"Don't be scared, Hiei, it won't hurt a bit!" she teased, stepping after him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

And then it happened. All it took was one misplaced toy car for Botan to trip and crash directly into Hiei. The momentum their collision forced Hiei to take a step back and when his foot brushed against a second toy car, their fates were sealed. Hiei fell backwards on the couch, taking Botan down with him. She fell directly on top of him, her face hovering mere inches away from his own and hands on his chest. She could feel his heart beating steadily against her palm as she into his deep, crimson eyes. Her breathing slowed down as she lost herself in that moment and then-

"-Are you guys doing the horizontal tango?" Kai asked, staring at them curiously from the threshold of his door.

"What?" the two asked in unison as their heads whipped around to view the boy. Botan's voice was a shrill and appalled cry, whereas Hiei's was more of a barked order for Kai to explain himself.

"Yusuke said it's what grown ups do to get to know each other better," he explained, both hands raised in defense.

"I'm going to kill him!" Botan shrieked, as she scrambled off of Hiei.

"I don't really get it, though. Why would people dance to know each other better when they can just talk?" Kai questioned, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Botan and Hiei exchanged glances from their respective positions on either end of the couch. She would have laughed at Hiei's slightly disturbed expression if she wasn't experiencing it tenfold herself.

"Attempting to understand anything that comes out of Yusuke's mouth is a wasted endeavor," Hiei answered firmly, having recovered first.

"Yes," Botan agreed, nodding her head in agreement. "It's completely meaningless. Best not to dwell on it any further."

"Okay," Kai answered.

But the boy continued to stare at the two of them and Botan suddenly became very self-conscious. It felt as though she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. But that was ridiculous... _nothing_ happened.

"…Kai?" she tried.

"Hm?"

"Did you need something?"

"No, I was just going to the kitchen for something to drink," he said, but didn't move from his spot.

"Did you want me to get it for you?" she asked.

"No."

"Then why are you just standing there, staring at us like that?"

"No reason," Kai shrugged, letting go of whatever was on his mind for the moment.

Both Botan and Hiei watched as Kai went off towards the kitchen, before Hiei turned to regard Botan.

"Your child is very peculiar," he accused, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's yours too," Botan reminded him, righting her disheveled clothes and smoothening out the wrinkles from her shirt. "And he isn't peculiar. He's perfect."

"I'm sure he gets it from you," Hiei continued.

"There's a fifty percent chance that he inherited it from you," she countered. "You've got your fair share of odd quirks too, you know."

"Hn, so you admit that the child is strange."

Botan realized her folly and let out a groan.

"Ugh! You tricked me."

Hiei smirked, but did not respond as Kai returned to the living room.

"Goodnight," the boy said with a small wave.

"Goodnight," Botan answered.

Hiei nodded in response.

"Happy dancing," Kai finished before closing his room door shut.

"We weren't!" Botan sighed in defeat, before looking over at Hiei through narrowed eyes. "This is all your fault!"

"You're the one who was all over me," he pointed out.

"That's only because you pulled me down with you."

"And I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't taken to stalking after me clumsily," he blamed.

"It was only a little lighthearted fun," she pouted, twiddling her thumbs.

He shot her with an accusatory look and Botan shrunk back.

"Okay, so, maybe it is my fault. And now Kai thinks... Well, I'm not sure what he thinks to be honest..."

"He's seven years old. He doesn't know what to think," Hiei concluded.

"He's a highly intelligent, independent and curious seven year old who loves to research what he cannot understand," Botan reminded Hiei. "That's why I'm worried."

Hiei's gaze drifted over to Kai's room door before returning to Botan determinedly.

"Give me your laptop," he ordered.

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

"Okay..." she complied, walking over to retrieve the device. "Here you go."

She watched as Hiei set it down in his lap and began typing away. When he had finished, he turned it so that Botan could easily view the screen.

"The second profile is Kai's," he told her. "The safety searches and blocks are on. Even if he does research the phrase, nothing explicit or inappropriate will appear."

"You really are a lifesaver," she said, breathing easy again as she set her laptop down on the table.

"Hn."

She had never been the damsel in distress type, but having Hiei there as support was almost comforting. Botan wasn't sure why, but she really liked having him around. In fact, she was soon realizing that she liked a lot of things about the man. She liked the way he was so confident and determined. She liked his intelligence and spitfire attitude. She liked his duty to family and friends and the way that his actions spoke volumes.

She liked the redness of his eyes and inky darkness of his hair. She liked the way his lips quirked upwards when he had the upper hand. She liked the sound of his voice and the way he smelled.

She liked the way his eyes met hers from across the room. She even liked the way he poked fun at her from time to time.

She liked the way he made her feel.

She liked _him_.

"What?" he bit out.

"Huh?"

"You were staring. I knew the boy got his strange tendencies from you," Hiei said.

"It's nothing," she lied, standing up abruptly. She looked down at the watch on her wrist and pretended to be shocked at the time. "Would you look at that, it's getting pretty late and I'm sure you've got to get to work bright and early in the morning."

If Hiei found her actions bizarre, he didn't comment on it. He stood up from his spot on the couch and followed her to the front door, before putting on his shoes. He paused to regard her, a look of uncertainty passing over his features as he glanced back at Kai's room door.

"What's wrong?" she asked, temporarily forgetting her own situation as she sensed Hiei's discomfort.

"His report…" Hiei began. "It was about me."

"That it was," Botan confirmed with a proud smile. The kids were instructed to write about their role models and Kai had chosen Hiei. "He read it to me about five times and made sure I liked it before he showed it to you."

"It should've been you," he started. "He should have written about you."

"All boys admire their fathers and it's only natural that Kai would list you as his role model. He adores you," Botan said softly.

Hiei averted his gaze uncomfortably and Botan crossed her arms over her chest.

"I hope he writes about me next, though. It's not fair that you get all the love," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Hiei smirked at that and she felt satisfied that she could pull him out of whatever confused state he had gotten himself into. He brought his gaze back to meet hers and her skin prickled at the serious intensity of his expression.

"Even if the boy is strange, you've done well by him," Hiei concluded.

Botan's eyes widened at the sudden and surprising confession. She raised a hand to rest against her chest as her heart fluttered wildly. She couldn't trust her own voice in that moment, instead choosing to nod at him wordlessly in response. Botan watched him disappear down the hallway as her newly discovered dilemma returned to the forefront of her mind. Closing the door and slumping against it, she let out a pitiful sigh. She had done the worst possible thing she could do: she had developed a crush on the emotionally unavailable and enigmatic father of her child. Even if they had become friends now, there was absolutely no way that Hiei would feel the same about her. It was too pitiful. Her feelings had been doomed from the start.

"Why me!" she exclaimed, throwing her face into her hands.

"You okay?" Kai called out, voice through the distance that separated them.

Botan peered up, totally forgetting that she was no longer living alone.

"Yes, nothing to worry about," she responded, before trudging to her room and flopping face down onto her bed. She pulled her pillow towards her face and groaned into it.

She had gotten herself into some pretty outrageous situations before, but this had to be the all time worse. This was something that she never expected; this was something that would complicate everything.

* * *

After nine chapters, one of our main pair finally falls for the other. Better late than never, eh?

Hope you guys enjoyed this massive chapter. There was a lot that happened and I hope it didn't feel overwhelming or jam-packed with details. I'm eager to hear you guys' thoughts on this installment, so please drop a review in the section below.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey everybody! I've got a few quick things to say before we start:

First off, I've gotten a few questions about where Keiko is or why she isn't included in the story. Simply put, it's just because I dislike her character and didn't feel like writing for her this time around. Sorry to all those that like her or were expecting to see her.

Secondly, while I appreciate the love and enthusiasm for this story, I have to ask that people don't hound me for updates or for even longer chapters. Life gets in the way more often than not, but I promise that I won't abandon the story or anything like that. The updates will come eventually and the length of each installment will vary depending on the content of the chapter.

Lastly, this particular chapter was split into two parts because of its length. There was a lot going on and I didn't feel like cramming it all in one go. I should be able to edit and upload the second half within a week's time. With that said, enjoy chapter ten!

* * *

"Happy Father's Day!"

Hiei looked down at the small gift prostrated in Kai's hands. When the boy had asked to come over, Hiei had never expected this to be the reason why. In fact, Hiei hadn't even bothered to remember what day it was, due to the fact that never had any reason to remember this particular holiday in the first place.

"Go on, take it," Kai urged with big, expectant eyes.

Hiei nodded and accepted the gift wordlessly. He still wasn't used to receiving gifts or such blatant attention and adoration. This whole thing was still very new to him and he wasn't sure if he would ever get used to it.

"…Aren't you going to open it?" Kai asked, balancing on the heels of his feet excitedly.

The boy's unconcealed enthusiasm pulled Hiei out of his thoughts and he began removing the wrapping paper on autopilot. The rectangular black box housed two neatly folded silk ties, one red and one green. They were simple, but clearly of high quality.

"You're always dressed up for work, so I thought you'd need more," Kai filled in. "And I made sure that they were your favorite colors, too."

Hiei didn't know what this feeling was, but it was entirely new. The boy had gone out of his way to do something like this for someone like him. Hiei wasn't the self-deprecating type, but he felt wholly undeserving of such pure and unbridled affections.

"Do you like it?" Kai asked, rubbing at the back of his neck. There was a note of uncertainty in his tone and clear doubt in his eyes as he stared at Hiei. "We can return it for something else if you don't want it."

"No," Hiei cut in, a little more forcefully than he had intended to. He cleared his throat and continued. "…This is enough."

Kai's eyes widened slowly, brows rounding and climbing higher as though he was surprised to hear Hiei's words.

"Really?" he asked quietly.

"Really," Hiei confirmed.

Kai avoided Hiei's gaze, biting the inside of his cheek in an attempt to hide his obvious satisfaction. Hiei pretended not to notice the way Kai's mouth quirked upwards and the way his eyes shone with glee as he returned the cover to the box and set it on the table.

"Oh yeah, Botan said I can stick around until nighttime, if you want me to," Kai offered, bringing his candy-colored gaze up to meet Hiei's. "You shouldn't be alone on Father's Day."

He had been in the middle of work when Kai showed up, but it could be pushed aside for now. He nodded his assent and Kai's grin brightened up so much so that Hiei almost needed to look away. He couldn't understand why the boy liked him so much, but there was one thing that he did know: he did not want to disappoint Kai again. It had only been a few short months of knowing the child and he had quickly become someone that Hiei was willing to make sentimental resolutions, decisions and exceptions for.

"So," Kai started, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark wash jeans. "Do you want me to make you lunch? I did the same for Botan on Mother's Day."

"If you're anything like the woman, you should stay far, far away from the kitchen," Hiei replied.

"Hey, she's a lot better now!" Kai defended with a pout. "And I can make lots of stuff, like-"

"-Cereal and sandwiches," Hiei filled in easily.

"Bingo!" Kai answered, before giving Hiei an impressed look. "How did you know? Are you psychic like Kuwabara and Shizuru, too?"

Hiei snorted at the outlandish assumption, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at the boy.

"Hardly, it's a simple matter of common sense."

"Oh." Kai shrugged. "Well, I can still make it for you if you want. Or we can make something else together?"

Kai looked up at him expectantly, eyes bright and shining with anticipation and once again, Hiei found himself unable to deny the boy's request.

"Fine," he replied, watching as Kai pumped a fist in the air, making his way towards the kitchen. Hiei was trailing behind the bouncing boy full of endless energy, when the doorbell rang. A cold and empty sensation washed over him in that moment, much like it always did whenever _he_ was around. Hiei froze in his spot, trying to make sense of the strangely foreboding feeling that had washed over him when Kai pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Are you gonna get that?" Kai asked.

The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time and Hiei pushed all thoughts aside as he moved to answer the door. He never considered himself to be even remotely psychic like Kai suggested, but he was much more attuned to the world around him than the others were. He knew that whatever was on the other side of that door was something that he wouldn't like, but nothing prepared him for the sight before him. His pores raised and pulse quickened as he stared back at the last person he ever expected to see: his bastard of a father, Ryu Jaganshi.

Even after all these years, Hiei remembered the man with startling clarity. Though they both shared the same olive skin tone, midnight black hair, and sharp, angular eyes, but that's where their similarities ended. Ryu was a few inches taller and broader than Hiei, muscles thick and compact, but not overtly so. Dark hair fell just above his broad shoulders, parted in the middle and framing his square face in a way that made him more disarming than he really was. His eyes were an icy blue color, cold and devoid of any signs of compassion, and a jagged scar ran across his left brow.

"Hello Hiei," Ryu greeted. His voice was a deep, clear baritone; smooth and calm and different from the way that Hiei usually remembered him as. He rarely used that tone with Hiei. "It's been far too long. Fifteen years to be exact."

Hiei's eyes narrowed suspiciously, immediately on the defensive. Despite all the time that had passed, it didn't look as though the man had aged at all and Hiei was more than certain that his horrible personality and penchant for all things illegal remained firm as well. Hiei stood up straighter, staring Ryu in the eye unwaveringly. He wasn't afraid – he never had been – and he was determined to let Ryu see that.

"What do you want?" Hiei asked.

"Does a father need a reason to see his son?" Ryu asked.

"Considering the circumstances of our lives, yes," Hiei responded.

Ryu let out a humorless laugh, but whatever he was going to say was cut short as he looked over Hiei's shoulder at something in the distance. Hiei heard the distinct shuffle of Kai's feet and when he turned around, he saw the boy approaching them. He shook his head sternly, causing Kai to stop in his tracks.

"Go to my room," Hiei instructed tightly.

Kai pouted curiously.

"Why?"

"Just do as I say and go," Hiei nearly barked, losing his patience when he saw the boy still standing there. " _Now_."

Kai jumped at the intensity of Hiei's voice, before nodding. He spared a glance at Ryu and then disappeared into the bedroom. When Hiei was convinced that Kai was out of sight and hearing range, he turned to face Ryu again.

"What are you doing here? I thought your sentence was for twenty years?"

"I got off early on good behavior," Ryu answered easily, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at Hiei. "Cooperated with the police, helped solve another case. All in a day's work."

"Hn. In other words, you betrayed another low life crook and snitched for the sake of your own freedom."

"More or less." Ryu nodded without any shame. His eyes darted towards the apartment, before returning to meet Hiei's gaze. "Are you going to let me inside or are your manners still as bad as they were when you were a child?"

"Manners are wasted on you. We can talk out here," came the curt reply.

Ryu clucked his tongue and shook his head admonishingly.

"That's no way to treat your dear old father, my boy."

That was the second time Ryu had brought up their relation and it made Hiei sick to his stomach.

"You're no father of mine," Hiei denounced, eyes cold and hard. "And I'm not your boy."

The man laughed.

"Same spitfire personality, as always. You haven't changed at all."

Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"I lack the desire and interest to stroll down memory lane," Hiei started caustically. "I'd prefer it if you would cut the false pleasantries and get to the point: what do you want from me?"

"Always direct and upfront, I can appreciate that," Ryu replied with a smirk. "I need a little assistance to get back on my feet. You might not believe it, but people aren't jumping to hire an upstanding citizen as myself."

'Upstanding citizen' was a rather generous title for an ex-convict like Ryu, Hiei thought as he crossed his arms over his chest. He stared back at the man unforgivingly as he shook his head.

"You've come to the wrong place," Hiei stated harshly. "I have no intentions of helping you."

A flash of indignation exploded over Ryu's expression, breaking the easygoing façade he had been donning. Hiei steeled himself in case Ryu retaliated violently, but the tightness in the other man's expression was gone almost as soon as it had come. A calm smile stretched over Ryu's face, but it did nothing to erase the dangerous glint reflected in those blue eyes.

"Cute kid you got in there," Ryu started casually. "I'm assuming he's yours?"

"He is none of your concern," Hiei replied. He could not afford to overreact; it would only fuel Ryu.

"He lives with that pretty blue-haired woman down the street, right?" Ryu questioned as he brought a large hand up to rub at the scruff on his chin. "Would be a shame if anything happened to them."

Anger sharpened Hiei's gaze as he glared at Ryu. The bastard had been watching them and waiting to make his move. This wasn't a simple drop by; this was premeditated.

"Leave them out of this," he warned tightly.

"And then there's my dear, sweet Yukina," he continued unfazed. "Shame I never really got to know her. She lives here in Tokyo, too, doesn't she?"

Hiei's restraint snapped and broke apart and he allowed his anger to get the best of him. He grabbed Ryu by the collar of his black shirt and shoved him against the opposite wall roughly.

"Don't threaten me," Hiei snarled. "I'm not the little boy you used to push around in the past."

"Still as hateful towards me as ever," Ryu sighed, shoving Hiei off of him and dusting off his clothing. "That's good. It means that you remember what I'm capable of."

Hiei clenched his fists into a ball, shoulders squared and tense as he tried to contain his anger. Even after all these years, he did remember just how deranged and vile the man was and he did not want to subject his family to the same treatment.

"We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way," Ryu instructed in a gruff, low voice. "I'm giving you the courtesy of making that choice, so which will it be, boy?"

Hiei's fists shook with unbridled rage, but he contained himself. He could not afford to act brashly, not when there were other lives at stake. He averted his gaze and took a deep breath as he tried to think rationally. There was no way he could fully ensure that Yukina, Kai and Botan were safe at all times. Ryu had the advantage and, unfortunately, Hiei had no choice but to go along with his demands.

"How much do you want?" Hiei asked finally.

"A thousand for starters would be nice."

"Consider it done."

"Good decision, boy. I'm glad that we can talk things through civilly."

Hiei glared in return, not bothering to respond.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you what will happen if you try anything funny," Ryu warned.

Hiei met Ryu's threatening gaze head on.

"I know."

"Good, then I'll return tonight for the money."

Hiei's mouth was drawn into a tight line as he nodded sharply in agreement. The corner of Ryu's mouth quirked upwards with the satisfaction of knowing that he had Hiei right where he wanted him. The man whistled as he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight and Hiei slammed his front door behind him upon reentering his apartment.

Once again, he was dragged back into the hell could only follow from being under Ryu's shadow. Fury bubbled up within him as he realized just how helpless he was in this moment. There wasn't much he could do when the safety of his family and friends were at stake. No matter how far he had come from his dark past, no matter how much he had grown and succeeded in building a stable career for himself, it amounted to nothing in presence of his father. He cursed loudly in frustration and threw the stack of mail that was on the entryway table on the floor in a fit of rage.

"Hiei!" Kai called out in a small and worried voice.

Hiei stopped to look at the boy as he stepped out of the bedroom and moved closer to him. The look of shock and worry on Kai's face was enough to bring him to his senses and the storm of emotions settled down to a low simmer

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, standing at Hiei's side with a concerned frown.

Hiei shook his head.

"It's nothing."

"Who was that guy?" he pressed.

"No one."

Kai frowned, but said no more. Hiei didn't know if it was because the boy was afraid of getting yelled at or if he had just decided to let this one go, but he couldn't be concerned with it now. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Botan's number. He didn't want Kai anywhere near here if that bastard was coming back tonight. He couldn't let any of the others get wrapped up in this, especially not his own son.

* * *

"Earth to Botan?"

"Huh?" Botan suddenly became aware of Shizuru's hand waving in front of her face. "Uh, yes?"

"You were spacing out," she pointed out.

Botan blushed. She had been thinking of Hiei again – something she had done quite often upon realizing that she had a slight crush on him.

"Was I really?" she laughed sheepishly, playing dumb.

"Yeah, I was trying to get your attention for an entire minute."

"That's nothing new, her head's always up in the clouds," Yusuke remarked as he reached over to grab a handful of the complimentary peanuts seated in the middle of their table.

"Well, I'd rather have it be up in the clouds than down in the gutter," Botan shot back, as she suddenly remembered the little incident she had with Kai due to Yusuke's dirty mind.

Yusuke shrugged.

"Eh, there's nothing wrong with a healthy imagination."

"There is when it starts rubbing off on my seven year old son," she started, her expression turning accusatory.

Yusuke blanched and Kuwabara sent him a disparaging look from across the table.

"Told you that you shouldn't have said it in front of him," Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

Shizuru's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm already regretting asking, but what happened?"

"Yes, Yusuke," Botan began. "Would you care to explain why Kai suddenly brought up the subject of the horizontal tango with Hiei and I?"

Yukina's eyes widened almost comically and Kurama's brows were raised in surprise. Shizuru only shook her head, completely unsurprised by the news.

"It's really funny when you think about it," Yusuke said, scratching his cheek in a sheepish manner.

Botan crossed her arms over her chest tightly.

"Really? Do tell how a seven year old boy talking about euphemisms for sex is a funny story!" she gritted.

"Kuwabara and me took the kid out for some fresh air and there was this hella sexy nurse just strolling around in this really tight nurse outfit."

"I keep telling you that she wasn't a _real_ nurse, Urameshi!" Kuwabara cut in. "It was cosplay."

"Whatever, she was hot. Like, smokin'," he said, wiggling his brows suggestively for added effect. "All I said was that I wouldn't mind doing the horizontal tango with her."

Botan slapped a hand to her forehead as Yusuke continued.

"I forgot that Kai was even there until he asked me what it meant, so I just told him that it was what us grown ups do to get to know each other better. The kid looked a little confused, but then he shrugged it off and let it go," Yusuke explained. "All things considered, I think I handled it pretty well."

"Handling it well would've been keeping your perverted thoughts to yourself," she grumbled, folding her arms angrily. "It's very traumatizing to hear your seven year old asking you about it with a straight face and a genuinely curious interest."

"Wait a minute," Yusuke started slowly, a revelation dawning on him. "If the little tyke asked you and Hiei about it, there had to have been a valid reason."

"A reason...?" Botan repeated nervously, feeling the tides begin to change as Yusuke's expression became more mischievous.

He leaned in close, examining her with critical eyes.

"You and Hiei getting a little close and personal?" he asked.

"No!" Botan exclaimed, pushing him away and out of her personal space as her face flushed red. She could feel the stares from the others and she avoided eye contact at all costs, wringing her hands nervously as she continued. "It was an accident... I tripped and we both fell and Kai came in at the worst time."

"Sounds pretty frisky to me," Yusuke teased, clicking his tongue.

"Yusuke!" she admonished. "It was nothing of the sort, you pervert!"

"Why's your face so red over 'nothing'?" he taunted.

"Because you're putting her on the spot," Shizuru interjected.

Botan gave Shizuru a thankful smile.

She was sure that her face was the color of a tomato now and she took a sip of her soda in an effort to cool down. She had to be careful because Shizuru, Kurama and Yukina were all observant in their own rights, Kuwabara was always attuned to the emotions of others and Yusuke had that crazily accurate intuition on his side. If she overreacted, they would surely know that something was up. She just had to play it cool.

She glanced over at Shizuru almost guiltily. Normally she would tell the brunette everything, but this was just so new and so... _embarrassing_. She couldn't bring herself to admit it aloud and make it real by telling another soul. Not yet at least.

Her phone began ringing and she stifled the relieved sigh that almost made its way out as she retrieved the device.

"Hello?"

 _"It's me,"_ Hiei said. _"I'm bringing Kai back. Something came up."_

There was an unknown element in his voice that told her not to question it, so she simply nodded along.

 _"Alright, I'm at the bar but I can be home in ten minutes."_

The call ended but she couldn't help the unsettled feeling that ran through her.

"What is it?" Shizuru asked, immediately noticing her change in demeanor.

"Hiei said that something came up and he needs to bring Kai home," Botan revealed.

"On Father's Day?" Kuwabara questioned.

"He is a bit of a workaholic," Kurama filled in.

Yusuke was the first to stand up.

"Well, I guess we're headed to your place, then," he announced decisively.

"Are you sure?" Botan asked.

"It's no big deal," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Besides, it's kind of weird being at the bar on a Sunday. This crowd is pretty depressing."

Botan had to agree as she looked over the place. It was completely dead.

"Alright then," she said, standing up. "My place it is."

In the time that it had taken to return to her apartment, Yusuke and Kuwabara had gotten into two fights, Kurama and Shizuru flirted once and Yukina simply enjoyed the entertainment. Hiei showed up at her door five minutes later, and she grinned at Kai as he slipped past her and entered the apartment. She turned back to Hiei, willing herself to just be normal around him, when she finally noticed the fact that there was something different about him. Although his expression remained impassive, there was a tense rigidity to his posture. Botan frowned as she looked back at him wordlessly. His eyes were unfocused and staring off at nothing in particular; it was clear that something was troubling him.

"Is everything alright?" Botan asked quietly, not wanting to draw any attention to him.

"It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

Annoyance flashed briefly on his face before it vanished. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but he shook his head. Botan noticed the way his gaze lingered on the others in the apartment, before returning to meet Botan.

"Positive," he answered finally.

"Alright," she conceded. "I would invite you in, but something tells me that you wouldn't take me up on that offer anyway."

"Hn."

Hiei moved to walk away, but something caused Botan to step forward.

"Hey," she started softly.

Hiei turned to look back at her, brow raised questioningly.

"If something's wrong… or if you need someone to talk to, you know that I'm here, right?"

Hiei stared at her with an unreadable expression crossing over his features. Some of the tension in his shoulders loosened as he nodded.

"I know, woman."

* * *

Kai watched intently as Hiei and Botan exchanged a few words near the threshold of the door. He was worried, especially after seeing how much Hiei changed after talking with that older man.

"Hey, everything okay?" Shizuru asked, nudging his arm lightly.

Kai blinked before giving Shizuru an uncertain shrug. Kuwabara was busy reciting some weird poetry to Yukina while Kurama and Yusuke were discussing something that Kai didn't quite understand. Everything seemed normal, but Kai had a bad gnawing at the pit of his stomach. Something bad was going to happen; he knew just it.

"I don't know…" he admitted quietly.

Her brows drew together as a look of concern crossed her features.

"What's wrong?"

Kai looked over at Botan, who was locking the door.

"Um…" he started.

Shizuru waited patiently and by the time Botan joined them, he had gathered up his courage.

"This mean looking guy came by Hiei's today," he revealed finally, looking between the two of them with a frown on his face.

"Well that isn't a very nice thing to say about one of Hiei's friends," Botan admonished, hands on her hips as she looked down at him.

"But I don't think he was a friend," Kai said, shaking his head. "Hiei looked really upset after they finished talking."

Shizuru and Botan exchanged glances, before looking back at Kai.

"I think Hiei might need our help," Kai finished.

By now everyone else had been tuned into the conversation. Kurama's expression was neutral and guarded as usual and the only indication that Yusuke was worried was by how tightly he had crossed his arms over his chest. Kuwabara's eyes narrowed slightly and sitting at his side was Yukina, who appeared to be the most troubled out of everyone else.

"What did this man look like?" Yukina asked, rising from her seat on the couch.

"Um… he was big and tall. Black hair and blue eyes," Kai informed. He had really only seen the man for a quick second, but his face was burned into Kai's vision. "Oh, and he had a scar right here."

The moment he pointed to his left eyebrow, Yukina let out a sharp gasp.

"No…" she whispered fearfully.

Kuwabara rested a gentle hand against her back, brows furrowed and forehead wrinked with worry.

"Yukina? Do you think it's-"

"It can't be," she said in that same breathless tone.

Kai looked over at Botan, who was biting her bottom lip like she always did when she was worried. Shizuru and Kurama were also standing now, concern filling their eyes as the atmosphere of the room became tense and uneasy.

"His sentence was for twenty years," Yukina recalled. "It's only been fifteen."

"It is common for sentences to decrease," Kurama noted, looking over at Shizuru for confirmation.

The brunette nodded her head.

"Yes, and there are many ways to make it happen," she stated. "But I'm clearly missing something. What's going on?"

"It's our father," Yukina revealed with a shaky and small voice. "He's back."

Kai's eyes widened at the sudden information. He didn't know much about the man, but he knew that he was trouble. Hiei and Yukina never talked about him and the fact that they both had such severe reactions to his return couldn't be a good thing.

"Kai, would you please go to your room for a moment?" Botan asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Kai frowned. He didn't want to be sent to his room, not again. He was always being left out of everything!

"Please," Botan said once more.

Kai opened his mouth to protest, but Yusuke was quicker.

"Better listen to your mom this time, Kai," Yusuke encouraged softly. "It's for your own good."

Kai's shoulders fell as he nodded in resignation.

"Okay," he mumbled under his breath, turning around and dragging his feet towards his room. He remembered to take Botan's laptop from the round table, before entering his room and closing the door behind him. He took a seat right beside the door so that he could listen in on the conversation.

"So he's back," Kuwabara said grimly.

"I don't know about all the details, but I heard he was a pretty bad guy," Yusuke recalled.

"Bad is an understatement," Yukina said. "He's horrible."

"And true to his nature, the first thing he decides to do is torment Hiei again," Kurama noted gravely.

"We have to help him," Botan said determinedly.

"I agree, but Hiei is a private man. He will insist on handling things on his own," Kurama reminded her.

"So we help him anyway," Yusuke said in that careless tone of his. "It's all of us against one man, how hard could it be?"

"We must proceed with caution. This is a delicate situation and Ryu is not one to trifle with," Kurama advised.

"Kurama's right," Yukina supported. "Ryu is too dangerous to face carelessly."

Kai frowned upon hearing that and decided to get back to work. He searched for Ryu Jaganshi on the internet and groaned when the child blocks on his profile prevented him from finding any relevant searches. Logging off of his name, he tried Botan's instead. There was a password and he had never bothered to ask her for it. He tried a few combinations, before succeeding with his name and birth year. He cracked his knuckles and then typed in Ryu's full name once more. He clicked on the first article that appeared and his eyes widened as he read off the list of offenses: child abuse, drug trafficking and illegal weapon possession.

Kai didn't care about the other stuff, but he was stuck on the first misdemeanor. Unfortunately, he knew all about child abuse and what it entailed. Some of the kids in the orphanage and foster home had been removed from their homes for that very reason. Ryu must have hurt Hiei and Yukina in the past and Kai couldn't forgive him for that. He had to make sure that nothing bad would happen to Hiei or Yukina. He wasn't that well versed on the criminal justice system, but with a simple call on the landline, he was able to talk to someone who was. He found a telephone number online and dialed the number dutifully. It took a while, but eventually someone picked up.

" _Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."_

"Hi, can I talk to an officer, please?"

" _You're speaking to one."_

"Oh, well, I'm doing a school report on criminals."

 _"They teach that sort of thing to kids?"_

Kai's face scrunched in disgust at being called a kid by a complete stranger, but he held his tongue. He needed information from this guy, so he couldn't be rude.

"I chose the topic," Kai said. "I'm interested in criminal justice."

 _"That's great, kid. So what do you want to know?"_

"What if someone is let off on good behavior but they really didn't deserve it?"

 _"Guys like that always return to their old ways eventually. And then they'll end up right back in prison."_

"But what if he hurts someone while you're waiting for him to get caught again? Why can't you just arrest him now if you know he's a bad guy?"

 _"Because we believe that you are until proven guilty. The system isn't always perfect, though."_

Kai frowned.

"That's no good…"

 _"You shouldn't worry so much kid. Like I said, the crook will mess up, we will catch him in the act and then he'll be nothing but an afterthought."_

"How would you catch him?"

 _"Eye witnesses, photos, evidence stashed in his or her living space,"_ he answered _. "Or we catch them in the act."_

"I see," Kai said, as his mind raced a mile a minute. "Thanks."

 _"No problem. And hey, if you need more help with research, you can always call me on my private line."_

"Really?"

" _Yeah, it's no trouble."_

Kai took down the number and grinned.

"Got it."

" _Good luck on your report."_

"Thanks. I think it'll be a success."

When he hung up the phone, he could still hear the others speaking in hushed tones in the living room. He no longer had the need to eavesdrop because now, he had his own plans. If they wouldn't include him, then he'd just have to do it himself. He moseyed over to his bed and began typing away again. The boy was so into his research that he did not even notice Botan enter the room until she had taken a seat next to him on the bed.

"Kai?"

He peeled his purple eyes away from the screen to look at her. He didn't even realize that it had gotten dark outside and that the others were all gone.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he said with a nod. "Hiei's the one we should be worried about."

"I-" Botan stopped midsentence when she glanced down at the laptop and saw all of the open tabs.

"Uh, I was just…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"I sent you to your room to keep you from all of this," she said, pointing to the screen.

Kai frowned.

"I know, but I was tired of being left out of all of the important stuff. I'm not a little kid, I can handle it," he declared.

Her expression softened as she eyed him.

"Oh, Kai, I didn't mean to make you feel left out," Botan started. "It's just that… well… things are complicated."

"I know. I heard everything," Kai confessed. "Hiei's dad is a bad person, really bad."

Botan nodded.

"He is," she agreed.

"He hurt Hiei and Yukina, right?"

"He hurt Hiei, yes," Botan repeated. "But Yukina was living with their mother at the time."

Kai's expression fell. He was glad that Yukina wasn't involved, but that meant that Hiei was all alone in this.

"I know that you're upset, but the only thing we can do is to just be there for Hiei," Botan instructed.

"What about Ryu? What are we going to do about him?" Kai asked.

"Nothing. He's too dangerous and I don't want you anywhere near that man."

"But-"

"Listen to me, Kai," Botan said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "This isn't something for you to get involved in. Hiei especially wouldn't want you involved either. You have to respect his wishes."

Kai pressed his mouth into a thin line, refusing to say anything else on the matter. It was obvious that no matter what he said, no one would believe that he could truly be of any help. Botan gave him a supportive look as she squeezed his shoulder.

"I know you're angry, but this is for the best," she said, staring into his eyes and awaiting confirmation.

"Okay," he agreed halfheartedly.

"I'll get started on dinner now," she said. "Any requests?"

"No, whatever you make is fine," Kai replied.

"Alright, I'll call you out when it's ready."

He waited for her to leave before he flopped back on the bed and let out a sigh. Even if they all wanted to keep him out of it, he couldn't do that. He was just as smart and capable as any of the others and he was determined to help. Hiei was his father and it was up to him to make sure that Ryu would be sent straight back to his old prison cell.

* * *

Later that night found Yukina and Kuwabara walking back to Yukina's apartment. Kuwabara had insisted on seeing her home and she did not object. It was a quiet and peaceful night, but the orange-haired man felt completely unsettled as he listened to the dulcet tones of Yukina's voice.

"I didn't know Ryu that well. I really only saw him a handful of times, but I never felt safe around him," she started. "Hiei never talked about it and pretended everything was okay, but mother and I knew that it bothered him more than he let on."

"It must have been tough for a kid to suffer through all that physical abuse…" Kuwabara sympathized.

"Mental abuse too," Yukina revealed. "He treated Hiei very badly. And I think he used to force him into helping out with his illegal schemes."

"That's awful," Kuwabara spat. "So, how did Ryu eventually get put away? Did Hiei have a hand in it?"

"Mother never talked about it much, but I heard that he was involved in a lot of crime. Drug dealings. I think he was a user, too. Eventually, someone slipped up and made a mistake that got Ryu incarcerated."

"I see…"

Yukina was quiet for a while, before she continued. It was barely above a whisper, but he heard it all the same.

"He's capable of such horrible things… I'm scared Kazuma."

Kuwabara's heart ached upon hearing her small voice and he took her hand in his, causing them to stop in their tracks. The wind rustled her hair and clothing and her ruby eyes seemed to shine in the darkness of the night. Contrary to her docile and gentle appearance, Yukina was an incredibly strong and resilient woman; the fact that she had openly stated her fears was more than a little troubling.

"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," he swore steadfastly, a look of fierce determination and protectiveness in his eyes.

A small smile broke through the concerned frown that had been etched on her face.

"I know you will, Kazuma, but Hiei's the one I'm scared for," she clarified. "Ryu never paid me or my mother any interest after the divorce. Hiei was the only one he really targeted. It was so cruel."

Kuwabara's eyes narrowed.

"I don't understand how a father could hurt his son like that," he said.

"It's like he took all of his frustrations out on Hiei – as if he was somehow to blame," Yukina recalled sadly. "It's bad enough that Hiei had to face this once. He shouldn't have to be haunted by it again."

Kuwabara nodded, silently agreeing.

"...I don't have a good feeling about any of this," Yukina said quietly.

Truth be told, neither did he. But he had to be strong for Yukina.

"Hey, it'll be okay," he reassured, reaching a hand out to rest on her shoulder comfortingly. "Urameshi and Kurama and me, we won't let anything happen."

"But-"

"Trust me," he told her. "We've been through a lot of dangerous stuff before and we always come out on top. This won't be any different."

Yukina stilled, eyes glazing over as if she was recalling a memory. And he supposed that she was. Years ago, the crime lord Tarukane had taken a special interest in Yukina. They had always assumed it was because of Ryu, whether it be an old grudge or rivalry thing. The creep had even gone as far as kidnapping her. The police were investigating the situation, but the four of them couldn't sit around and wait. They sprang into action without much of a plan. It was kind of unbelievable thinking back on it; four teenage boys taking down an entire crime syndicate like that, but they were all tough by their own rights. And more than that, they were motivated.

"You're right," she agreed. "This is just one more thing we will have to overcome."

"That's the spirit, my love!" Kuwabara grinned.

As the two walked back to her apartment, Kuwabara thought of what he could do to ensure Yukina's safety. He didn't like that she was all alone when her father was on the loose. It would be better if she stayed with someone. He blushed as he thought of her staying with him, but quickly shook the thought out of his head. Aside from the fact that it would be a dream come true, it wasn't possible. They didn't have any room. But Shizuru did. His sister was strong and smart; it was the perfect plan. Yup, he was a genius.

The goofy grin he was previously sporting fell when he felt Yukina freeze and tense up at his side, her ruby eyes wide as she stared at something across the street. Kuwabara followed her gaze and spotted a man smoking outside of the convenience store.

"Is that..." he trailed off, a lance of worry running through his gut.

She nodded and he tensed up, preparing himself for whatever was about to come.

"I don't think he was here for me," Yukina stated. "This is probably just a coincidence."

"Do you want to turn back and go the other way?" Kuwabara suggested.

"No, I think I should face him," she replied bravely.

"Alright." Kuwabara nodded. "But I'm not leaving your side."

"I know," she answered with a slight smile.

As they crossed the street, Ryu finally took notice of them. He was a tall and imposing man, and other than his hair color and the angular shape of his eyes, he didn't really share any features with Hiei. He did exude an aura of strength and danger, though. A conflicted look passed over his blue eyes when he took in the sight of Yukina; he paled a bit, as though he had seen a ghost.

"Ryu," Yukina said by way of greeting, her tone colder than Kuwabara thought possible.

Ryu shook his head, snapping out of whatever strange reverie he had been in.

"Yukina," Ryu returned. "You're the spitting image of your mother."

Kuwabara wasn't expecting to hear such a smooth and disarming voice emit from the man. Considering the things he had heard about him, he had expected him to come with all of the trappings of a villain; menacing and chilling voice included.

"Yes, I get that a lot," she replied.

"You look well," he started. "I didn't expect to see you around."

"But you paid Hiei a visit."

Kuwabara was taken aback by the accusatory look in her eyes, but he shouldn't have been surprised. Yukina was always fiercely protective of family and those that she deemed worthy enough to be friends.

"So, he already ran his mouth?" Ryu asked, flicking the ashes off of his cigarette with a frown.

"Hiei didn't say anything," Yukina defended.

"Then it must have been his nosy little brat," Ryu deduced with frown. "It wasn't intended to be a secret; it was simply a friendly visit after all. No need to get riled up."

"I hope you aren't planning on dragging him into any of your plans again," Yukina voiced. "Please, do the right thing for once and leave him be."

Ryu seemed to take offense to that. He stood a little taller as he stared down at Yukina.

"My business with Hiei is mine and mine alone," Ryu started lowly, his voice changing into a more gravely and rough nature. "For your sake, I hope you don't try to get involved."

Kuwabara bristled at the man's threatening tone, stepping in between the two.

"Don't you dare threaten her."

"It's not a threat," Ryu countered, expression calm but eyes deadly. "It's a fatherly warning."

Kuwabara stepped forward once more, but stopped when he felt Yukina's hand on his arm.

"Kazuma," she said softly, shaking her head as she placed a hand on his arm. "Don't."

He released a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Ryu as he tried to remain calm. He had to respect Yukina's wishes, but if that creep even looked at her wrong one more time, then Kuwabara wouldn't hold back. They were all silent as Ryu discarded his cigarette and crushed it under the heel of his combat boot.

"Don't involve yourself in matters that don't concern you," Ryu warned icily. "I mean it."

He spared the two of them one last look before going his way.

Yukina took a deep breath, eyes remaining on Ryu as he got farther and farther away.

"I suppose that's one thing he and Hiei have in common…"

"What do you mean?"

"Hiei always pushed me away when it came to his dealings with Ryu," Yukina revealed. "I know that he was just trying to protect me in his own way, but it only made me worry even more."

 _This is bad_ , Kuwabara thought as he stared at the spot where Ryu once stood.

Over the course of the next three days, Kurama and Yusuke kept Kuwabara updated. Hiei had kept his distance from everyone, and the few times that he was spotted or visited, Ryu usually wasn't far behind. Yukina was getting especially worried, but she had explained that she would respect Hiei's decision and give him the space he needed. Kuwabara, on the other hand, didn't feel the need to do so. He knocked on Hiei's door and after a few moments, he answered.

"What do you want?" Hiei asked gruffly.

"Whoa, you look like hell," Kuwabara blurted out tactlessly.

Hiei's eyes narrowed defensively.

"That's rich, especially coming from a hulking oaf like you," Hiei replied.

Kuwabara put his hands up in defense.

"Hey, I'm serious; you don't look like you're doing too well."

The pallor of his skin and dark circles only served to dull those usually sharp and alert eyes. Weariness bit at his features. The usual strength was gone from his posture and his movements were just a fraction slower, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. Kuwabara actually felt kind of bad for the guy.

He would never know what it was like to have an unfit father; he was one of the lucky ones. But Kuwabara was extremely empathetic by nature and it was almost like he could sense the other man's distress. Hiei was far too stubborn and prideful to admit it, but he was in over his head. The least Kuwabara could do was to reassure him of Yukina's safety.

"You don't have to worry about Yukina," Kuwabara said. "I travel with her to and from work, every day. She's safe inside the hospital and she's staying at Shizuru's place now, just in case."

Hiei was silent.

"Shizuru's tough. And it's better for them to be together than for Yukina to be alone," Kuwabara continued.

When Hiei stayed silent once more, Kuwabara frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"What you've done for Yukina is enough," Hiei said in that monotonous, one-level tone of his. "There is no need to pretend to concern yourself over me."

"I'm not pretending, shorty, I actually meant it," Kuwabara shot back, shifting angrily in his position. He let out a huff and muttered under his breath. "The one time I actually try and treat you like an actual person, you shove it in my face."

"It's a futile gesture," Hiei replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I despise you and you're the same with me."

"We don't really hate each other, though," Kuwabara answered without really thinking.

Hiei gave him a strange look and Kuwabara continued.

"I mean, sure, you're definitely not my favorite person. But we've been through a lot. Even if we don't admit it, it doesn't change the fact that we're-"

"Don't finish that sentimental thought," Hiei warned, as though he was about to become physically ill.

"Not enemies," Kuwabara finished. "It doesn't change the fact that we're not enemies."

Hiei's shoulders fell from their tensed position, features losing their tightness as he stared back at him.

They never saw eye-to-eye, they squabbled constantly and couldn't stand each other most of the time, but somewhere along the way they had genuinely stopped hating each other. Although Hiei was rude, mean, arrogant and jaded, he wasn't completely all that bad. Yukina saw something in him and, sometimes, Kuwabara did too. He knew that Hiei had to feel an inkling of the same, otherwise Kuwabara wouldn't have been able to be as close to Yukina as he was.

"You're always saying nonsensical things," Hiei stated lowly.

"And you're a total grump and a jerk, but you don't see me pointing that out," Kuwabara grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hiei's jaw ticked and tightened angrily. This was more to Kuwabara's liking. He'd rather Hiei flare up in anger than retreat into himself.

"If you see that bastard, don't engage with him," Hiei ordered firmly. "You may think you're Yukina's protector, but going up against him would be suicide. Especially for a naive and gullible fool like you."

This was weird. Hiei was actually showing concern.

"Your dad doesn't scare me. You don't have to worry about me."

"I wasn't worried. I was only giving you fair warning in case you tried to do something stupid and heroic."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes, but it was a halfhearted effort. In moments like these, where it really mattered, they were able to come to an agreement.

"Okay," Kuwabara answered.

The two fell silent and the air around them felt heavier somehow. Kuwabara shifted in his position, feeling uncomfortable and awkward.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about Yukina because the Kuwabara siblings are on it!" he proclaimed, with a determined nod of his fist. "Plus, Kurama and Urameshi have been keeping an eye out on Botan and Kai. Ryu hasn't even tried contacting them."

The ringing of his cell phone interrupted Hiei's response. It was obvious who it was by the hardened look on Hiei's face, but Kuwabara felt that he had to ask.

"Is that him?" Kuwabara asked cautiously.

Hiei didn't bother with responding to the other man's inquiry, instead reaching into his pocket for his phone. He bid Kuwabara one last look, before walking away and bringing the phone to his ear.

Kuwabara sighed. If only there were something more he could do. He hated seeing Yukina worried and anxious and although he would never admit it aloud, he wanted Hiei to be okay, too. The sooner this was over, the better.

* * *

It had been exactly four days since Ryu had shown up. Hiei tried to distance himself from the others, only responding to texts from Yukina to quell her worrying. It was like history repeating itself; he had often separated himself from Yukina whenever Ryu was heavily involved. He was protecting her, but on some distant level, he knew that he was also protecting himself as well. He had committed crimes under Ryu's forceful insistence, nothing too bad, but still illegal nonetheless. He was tainted and he didn't want Yukina to be associated with him back then.

This time around though, the only thing Ryu had required from him was monetary assistance. The man was smart enough to know that he could not get lay a hand on Hiei and come out unscathed, but that didn't stop him from darkening Hiei's mind every time he showed up. He often said things, brought up the past, and made biting remarks. Hiei was far past the point of caring about what Ryu said or did, but it still stuck in his mind.

Hiei allowed his mind to drift to the past. He had been called many names, blamed wrongly, and cursed at. Beatings were a regular occurrence. Learning to live with it became normal and making excuses for his injuries had become second nature. He was certain that his teachers knew what was really going on, but no one wanted to get on Ryu's bad side. Hiei wasn't sure why Ryu only seemed to target him, but he supposed it didn't matter. The man's mind was twisted and whenever things didn't go his way, he took it out on Hiei. Anger simmered beneath the surface all the time, but Hiei simply grit his teeth and bore it. Not because he was weak, but because Ryu threatened to go after Yukina and his mother if he ever spoke out or lashed out. In Hiei's experience, the justice system was too slow or always a step behind. He couldn't trust the security and safety of his mother and sister with a faulty system, so he took all of Ryu's abuse and mistreatment. He could handle it, after all.

After Ryu had been caught and tried for his many crimes and Hiei had come to live with his mother and Yukina, he didn't tell them a single thing about what living with Ryu was like. He had asked his mother once and only one time: why and how she ended up with a piece of trash like their father. She smiled at him, but the sadness remained in her eyes as she told him, _"People change. They have the ability to get better or unfortunately, get worse. Ryu came from a broken home. He wasn't this way at first, but then he got involved in the wrong things and with the wrong people. Drugs, alcohol, money, crime and power... these things became more important than family. And those vices destroyed him."_

Those words has always stuck with Hiei and, although he never admitted it to anyone, he was afraid that one day he would change and become exactly like Ryu. Or maybe he had always been like him all along; after all, the blood flowing in his veins had been the same as Ryu's. The thought made him sick and he had never really outgrown it until he spent time with Kai. Hiei came to realize that he was nothing like his father; he could never do to Kai what had been done to him.

He had hurt Kai with his cold words and indifference, yes, but never again. Hiei would never become the man his father was.

He stifled a yawn and rubbed a hand at his face tiredly. Between work, Ryu's return and everyone's blatant concern over him, Hiei was starting to feel stifled. He had only showed up at the bar that night so that the others could see that he was fine. Kurama had cornered him as expected, feeling the need to speak with Hiei privately.

"Hiei, something must be done."

Kurama's voice pulled him back to the present and he shook his head.

"No."

"But-"

"You don't know how to deal with him, but I do. I've had twelve years of experience with him. I can handle it."

"You might be able to handle him, but what about Yukina? What about Botan and Kai?"

"He won't bother with them; I've made sure of that."

Kurama sighed.

"They're worried about you. We all are."

"I don't need anyone's sympathy or pity."

"It's not pity," Kurama said. "We worry because we care. And if any of us were in the same position, you would too."

Hiei remained silent as Kurama continued.

"I understand your need to deal with this alone. Just remember that we are all here and we are willing to help."

Hiei paused. He knew that Yukina was safe. There was no way for Ryu to contact her at work and Kuwabara was with her when she traveled to and from the hospital. Shizuru's apartment complex was secure and the woman was not one to be trifled with. Besides that, their father had never shown any interest in Yukina. Perhaps it was due to her striking resemblance to their mother. Hiei couldn't be sure of how the man's warped mind worked. In any case, he didn't think that he would approach her. But assuring that she was never alone was a necessary precaution and he knew that he could count on the Kuwabaras to accomplish that.

Botan and Kai were another story though. They were the perfect leverage.

"If you insist on being involved, then continue to keep an eye out for the woman and Kai," Hiei instructed.

"Of course."

"That's all then."

"Understood."

He couldn't very well stop the others from worrying and wanting to meddle, but at least this way it had worked towards everyone's benefit. As long as Yukina, Kai and Botan's safety was guaranteed, then nothing else mattered. He was perfectly capable of handling everything on his own, but he did not like having other worry and dote over him. He would power through as he always did, and eventually Ryu would get bored and move on to something else. It was just a matter of time until this would all be nothing but a bad memory.

* * *

Botan stared back at the blank page on her laptop screen with a discontented sigh. She had been trying to work on her column all morning, but her thoughts ran back to Hiei. He had been avoiding them and ignoring her texts. She understood his sentiments – she really did – but the longer this went on, the more worried she became.

Her phone suddenly rang and she was wholly surprised to see Hiei's name flash on the screen. She grabbed the device quickly, pulling it to her right ear in anticipation.

"Hiei?" she answered excitedly.

" _Uh, not exactly."_

Botan's expression immediately fell at the sound of the unfamiliar voice.

" _Is this Botan?"_ the man asked.

"Yes… this she," Botan answered. "Who is this?"

" _It's me, Haru!"_

Botan blinked. That name sounded pretty familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

" _I work with Hiei?"_ he tried.

"Oh, Haru!" she replied. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize your voice sooner."

" _No worries, we really only met the one time."_

"Is something the matter?" Botan asked. "Is Hiei okay?"

" _I'm afraid not. He's been overworking himself; long hours at the office, little to no sleep and I'm pretty sure he's hardly been eating. Something's bothering him and stressing him out. He even left work early today."_

"That's awful!"

" _I think it'll be best if someone makes sure he's okay. He needs to rest. I promised him I'd handle everything over here."_

"You're absolutely right. Hiei can be a bit of a workaholic."

" _You've got that right. Do you think you can maybe go and check on him? I'm really sorry to bother you - I tried calling Yukina, but she never has her phone on her during work."_

"Nonsense, this is no bother at all! I'm glad that you even remembered to call me," Botan replied.

" _Yeah, well, you are his baby mama and all,"_ Haru joked.

"Please never call me that again."

" _Yeah, okay, it felt really weird,"_ Haru agreed. _"Anyway, he left his phone here at work and I saw that you were one of his recent contacts. I figured that you might be able to help."_

"I'm glad that you called me," Botan said. "I'll let you know how things go."

" _Alright, later."_

"Bye."

Once the call ended, Botan immediately sprung into action. She called Yusuke and asked him to pick Kai up from the bus stop and he agreed. She then ransacked her fridge, pulling out all the items necessary to make a healthy and tasty lunch and then made her way over to Hiei's apartment complex. She didn't bother calling his landline to warn him in advance – one, because she had no idea what it was, and two, because she knew he would decline her assistance – so she simply knocked on the door and waited for a few moments. She felt a little guilty that she was getting to see Hiei and Kai wasn't, but she resolved to bring him over the next time. When Hiei appeared, he looked tired beyond belief.

"Oh, Hiei," she said sadly. "You look awful."

His expression darkened as she let herself inside.

"I didn't mean it like that… you just look under the weather is all."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"To nurse you back to health, of course!" she replied cheerily.

"I'm fine," he gritted out as he closed the door behind her.

Botan ignored him and instead took notice of the paperwork displayed on the glass table.

"I think you can afford to give up work for one day and just rest," she suggested.

"I-"

"Ah ah ah," she said, wagging her finger in the air. "No buts. Now, make yourself comfortable on the couch or in your bed while I fix you up some lunch."

"Woman-"

"Hiei," she cut in. "You've been avoiding us for the entire week. I know that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but just this once, let me help you. If you won't do it for yourself, then be a gentleman and do it for my sanity. I have been very worried, after all."

Hiei's shoulders fell and het let out a sigh. He didn't say a word as he took a seat on the couch and stared at her pointedly.

"Do what you want woman."

Botan grinned victoriously and made her way to his kitchen. She set the fruits out on the table, deciding to cut them up and give them to him later as a snack. She then got to work, whipping up a quick and nutritious soup for him. When she returned to the living room, she found him fast asleep on the couch. Setting the glass of water and bowl of soup down, she took a seat next to him. Even in his sleep, he seemed troubled. His mouth was pulled into a frown and his posture was still rigid and tense. She wanted to make things better, but she didn't know how. Ryu was certainly doing a number on him.

Botan had always thought that there was something wrong with her for not having parents, but she was realizing that having bad ones could be just as damaging. Without thinking, she raised a hand to brush the bangs out of his eyes. A heavy sadness passed over her as she wished that he didn't have to go through this again. He didn't deserve this.

The doorbell rang and Botan was glad to see that Hiei had not stirred from his sleep. He needed as much sleep as he could get. She stood up from the couch and quietly walked over the door, amethyst eyes going wide when she spotted the man on the opposite side. Botan had never seen Ryu before, but she just knew that it was him. He was a handsome man and Botan immediately understood how and why Hiei's mother had given this man the time of day upon their first meeting. No matter how appealing he was to the eye, Botan knew what he was capable of and determined to keep her guard up.

"Ryu," she greeted, tone devoid of any warmth or friendliness.

"I don't believe we've met," he stated casually, smiling over at her with a charming sort of air.

"We haven't," Botan replied curtly. "Anyway, Hiei's not well at the moment and he shouldn't be seeing any visitors."

"Maybe I should check in on him and see that he's okay," Ryu replied with false sympathy.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she replied, stepping in his way.

Blue eyes narrowed, but Botan did not flinch in his presence.

"What Hiei needs right now is some rest," she said carefully. "You shouldn't disturb him."

"Perhaps you're the one who is disturbing him," Ryu replied, his tone colder than it was before. "I'm family."

Botan bit back the insult that was resting on the tip of her tongue. It wouldn't do her any good to upset him, but the fact that he was the source of all of Hiei's past and present pain certainly wasn't making it easy for her.

"I see…" Ryu said, as though he could read her thoughts. "You think you know me because of what you might have heard. But what none of you seem to realize is that Hiei would be nothing without me. He seems to be living a cushy life right now. None of that would have been possible if I didn't take care of him from the start."

Botan stared back at the man, a mixture of vexation and shock tightening her features.

"Is that what you honestly think?"

"It's what I know," Ryu replied.

"Let me tell you something, mister: Hiei doesn't owe you a thing. Everything he's accomplished was in spite of you. He's a great man and an exceptional father and you don't deserve to take any of the credit for what he's become," Botan accused sharply.

"Listen here," he snarled.

Botan already put a hand up to silence him.

"I think it's best you leave now," she said, closing the conversation. He took a step closer to her, but she was a step ahead. The bluette quickly slammed the door in his face and locked it for good measure. She let out a deep exhale and crossed her arms over her chest. "The nerve of some people…" she scoffed as she turned around and came face to face with crimson eyes and a displeased expression.

"Hiei…what are you doing up?" she exclaimed. "You should be resting."

"I heard what you said."

"I'm sorry if I stepped out of line," she apologized hurriedly. "He just got me so angry!"

She had expected Hiei to berate her for even speaking with his father, but the angry lines of a frown were replaced by a smooth and neutral expression. He looked off to the side as murmured a quiet and low utterance; so lowly that she wasn't sure if she heard him properly.

"Thank you," he muttered.

Botan blinked, heart racing at the simple show of gratitude.

"What?"

"I'm not repeating myself. Just, don't do it again."

She nodded slowly, completely stunned by the fact that Hiei had actually thanked her. She wondered if this was the first time that anyone had stood up for him before. It caused her heart to ache and it only made her want to safeguard him more. It was silly, really. Hiei was a grown man; he could take care of himself, but she wanted to save him from any hurt or harm that may befall him in the future. She wanted to protect him. Perhaps this little crush of hers amounted to more than just a fleeting and misguided set of emotions.

"Ryu is dangerous," Hiei warned grimly. "You shouldn't even be in the same room as him, much less speaking with him."

"I understand."

"I don't think you do," Hiei grumbled, pushing his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. "That loudmouth of yours will get you into trouble one day, woman."

"And your concern over my wellbeing is very touching," Botan teased, placing a hand over heart. "I never knew that you cared so much, Hiei."

"I don't-" he denied, before catching her taunting grin. She could have sworn that the tops of his cheeks reddened in embarrassment, but it could have been due to the fact that he was under the weather. He quickly regained his composure, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hn, suit yourself. I don't care what you do."

Botan mentally patted herself on the back as she watched Hiei move to reclaim his spot on the couch. She would much rather see Hiei annoyed at her than for him to be worried and stressed out over Ryu. She desperately wanted to know what the older man wanted from Hiei, but she realized that this wasn't the time or place. What he needed the most right now was the simple reassurance that he had someone on his side, and that was something that she was perfectly capable of doing.

She wordlessly handed him his bowl of soup and then took a seat beside him. A comfortable silence enveloped them both and Botan glanced at Hiei from the corner of her eye. She knew that she didn't hold a special place in his heart like Yukina and Kai did. She wasn't strong and brave like Yusuke and Kuwabara. She didn't have the wisdom and maturity that Shizuru possessed, or a calculatingly shrewd mind like Kurama. But if there was one thing that Botan excelled at, it was being a loyal and true friend. If this was all that she could do for now, then she was more than happy to be there for him.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought in the review box below!

Til next time~


	11. Chapter 11

The past week had been rough on all everyone and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Yusuke. Although most of them met up at the bar or near his cart when they could, things just weren't the same. That jackass Ryu was still hanging around like a leech, taking whatever he could from Hiei and haunting him like some vengeful apparition.

They worried from a distance and checked up on him with phone calls or texts. Yukina was understandably upset, but she – like the rest of them – had chosen to give Hiei the space he needed. Hell, even Kuwabara was beginning to get antsy over the whole situation, despite having tumultuous relations with Hiei in the past. Shizuru and Kurama remained the most calm, but that did not stop them from trying to help in their own ways. Shizuru had been familiarizing herself with Ryu's old case and was probably compiling a new one against him, just waiting for him to slip up, while Kurama had remained a staunch pillar of support for Hiei. Kurama was the only one Hiei texted back most regularly, probably because Kurama was so crafty and knew how to work with Hiei's personality.

Botan and Kai were another story. Yusuke had been spending a lot of time with them to ensure that Ryu did not contact them, and their curiosity and concern for Hiei was both grand and unending. Kai was always coming up with ways they could catch Ryu or help Hiei. The kid was relentless in his efforts and Yusuke couldn't really blame him. He was Botan's son, after all, and the blue-haired woman was always coming up with all sorts of harebrained schemes.

Although they were all invested in Hiei's situation, Yusuke was the only one who fully understood Hiei's insistence on doing this alone. The others might not have gotten it, but Yusuke understood the importance of handling it alone. Hiei was a grown man and could take care of himself; he didn't need protecting. Yusuke would not fight his battles for him, but that still didn't stop him from glaring daggers into Ryu's back as he stared the man down from down the street. He was loitering around the area where Yusuke conducted his business, looking extremely shady and untrustworthy.

His gaze narrowed as he watched Ryu speak with a shorter, seemingly spineless man. They were definitely talking about something illegal, and Yusuke had to admit that it was pretty stupid of them to do that in broad daylight. Looking around, though, the lunch rush had died down and there was hardly in the general vicinity. Go figure, the bad guys always have no trouble doing their dirty work.

A few moments later, the little crony had departed and Ryu turned towards Yusuke's direction. He probably should have looked the other way, but he chose to maintain eye contact with the older man.

"You're Raizen's boy, aren't you?" Ryu asked as he approached Yusuke's cart.

"That all depends on why you're asking," Yusuke answered flippantly.

Ryu cracked a sardonic smile.

"You've got to be with an attitude like that."

"Congratulations, you've won the prize," Yusuke replied flatly.

"You two have that same look in your eye," Ryu noted, leaning over to rest his elbows on the counter. "I knew him, you know."

"I'm sure you did. My old man knew a lot of sketchy characters."

"We never got along, but he was pretty big around town."

"And you're telling me this because…?"

"Because if you're anything like your father, you'd have a knack for trouble and getting in my way."

Yusuke smirked defiantly.

"Is that what this is? Came here to threaten me?" Yusuke asked lowly, almost inviting the challenge. His fists itched with the urge to connect to this guy's face, but he held back.

"No," Ryu said with a shake of his head. "But I could use a guy like you on my side."

Yusuke was completely taken aback by that, arms loosening from their coiled position and dropping to his sides.

"What?"

"I've heard about your reputation in the past. Don't tell me you're actually on the straight and narrow now."

"I've always been on the straight and narrow, pal," he countered. Well, that was a bit of lie, but Ryu didn't have to know that.

"Your father left behind a legacy for you, don't you feel you're wasting your talents on something as mediocre as this?" Ryu wondered, motioning to the cart.

Raizen might have built a pretty impressive underground empire for himself, but Yusuke wasn't interested. It was all politics and shady business and dealings that Yusuke couldn't be bothered with. He could only assume that Ryu was attempting to do the same and the fact that he was dragging Hiei into all of this was just sick. He was starting to get really pissed off with the man and if he knew what was good for him, he would leave.

"No, I think I'm right where I need to be," Yusuke replied firmly, mouth drawn into a tight line.

"But you could do so much more."

"Guess that's where Hiei and I are the same; we aren't content with standing in the shadows of someone else's shoddy success. We'd rather pave our own way."

"That sort of talk and way of thinking is close-minded and juvenile."

"Are you seriously trying to lecture me right now?" he accused. "You, the guy who is basically threatening his own son?"

"I can't force Hiei into doing anything that he doesn't want to do. He's made his decision and he's chosen wisely. You will too, in time."

"Listen, the only reason I haven't wiped the floor with your face yet is because I think Hiei deserves first dibs," Yusuke began lowly. "But if you don't leave within the next five seconds, I can't guarantee that you'll be walking away with all of your bodily functions in tact."

Ryu smirked.

"There's that fire and rage," he proclaimed, reveling in the moment. "That's exactly what I need."

"Well, who am I to turn down a fan's request?" he started as he cracked his knuckles, patience long gone.

"Yusuke."

He didn't have to look to know who that calm voice belonged to. Kurama's emerald eyes said everything they needed to, causing Yusuke to pause in his ministrations.

"Just in time, as always, Kurama," Ryu said disappointedly.

"Ryu," Kurama barely acknowledged with a slight nod.

Ryu cast one more look in Yusuke's direction before shrugging and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Guess I'll be on my way then," Ryu announced, whistling as he strolled down the path.

Yusuke glared at Ryu's retreating form, anger sharp and bitter on his tongue. He wanted to say so much more, do so much more, but he held himself back. Ryu was only trying to rile him up and it was a good thing that Kurama showed up when he did.

"Are you alright?" Kurama asked, taking a seat at the counter.

"I'm good," Yusuke said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But, man, that guy's got to be the worst."

"I agree," Kurama said.

"He pretends to be all calm and cool, but there's something seriously dangerous in there."

"Precisely why I didn't want you reacting violently."

Yusuke shook his head and took a deep breath. There was no point in wasting any energy on the man. He cast his gaze on Kurama and quirked his mouth upwards into a forced grin.

"You want the regular?" Yusuke asked.

"Sure."

* * *

"Should we get the regular flavors or try something new?" Amanuma asked, blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Whatever floats your boat," Kai answered with a shrug, using a phrase he had learned from Botan. She had all sorts of funny ones that he had taken to reciting.

The class had just finished an exciting field trip at the zoo and the bus made a pit stop at a convenience store so that they could get snacks. As he was busy glancing around the area, he spotted the very man who had been the source of all of his troubles. Ryu stood in the back of the store, in the refrigerated section. He appeared to be perusing through the selection of beers and Kai's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He was supposed to be sticking to his seatmate's side, but Amanuma was too busy trying to figure out which kind of weirdly flavored chip he should try next and Kai couldn't pass up on this chance. Breaking away from his currently enthralled friend, Kai wandered over to Ryu.

Upon closer inspection, he was on the phone with somebody. He had one of those bulkier, older phones and Kai remembered something about them being easier to dispose of and harder to track. It figured that he would be using something sketchy like that. The boy inched closer, trying his best to listen to the conversation as it went on.

" _I'll get the money. Don't worry."_

Kai watched as Ryu pocketed his phone before making his presence known.

"Hey," Kai greeted coldly.

The man turned to face Kai, confusion written on his features.

"You talking to me, kid?"

"Who else?" Kai responded.

Recognition flashed over Ryu's blue eyes.

"Ah, you're Hiei's boy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," Kai answered with pride. "And I'm warning you to leave him alone."

Ryu crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Kai.

"Didn't Hiei ever teach you any manners? That's no way to talk to your grandfather."

"Sorry old man, but I don't have any grandparents," he snubbed. "Botan never knew hers and the only parent Hiei had died a long time ago. You don't count."

Ryu's lip curled in distaste as he unfolded his arms and stood at full height.

"Hmph, you remind me of Hiei as a kid. And he did nothing but piss me off," he muttered dangerously.

Kai frowned.

"If Hiei bothers you so much, why don't you just go away and leave him alone?"

"Because he owes me in my time of need," Ryu replied. "I took care of him and now it's his turn to pay me back in full."

"But it's a father's job to take care of his kid. Hiei doesn't owe you anything," Kai countered. "And besides… from what I heard, you didn't really take care of Hiei in the first place."

Ryu's jaw ticked in anger.

"What's your point, kid?"

"My point is that you should leave him alone, unless you want to end up right back where you came from."

Ryu raised a brow. There was a slight trace of amusement and something else in his tone as he glared down at Kai.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Maybe," Kai replied nonchalantly.

"Maybe I should just get rid of you and save myself the trouble," he grumbled under his breath.

"You can try it," Kai taunted.

Ryu's eyes narrowed into slits and Kai resisted the urge to take a defensive step backwards. A cold sense of dread washed over him, but he kept up his façade and stared back at Ryu confidently. The two were at a standstill until a voice interrupted them.

"Kai!"

Kai turned to see Amanuma at the end of the aisle.

"It's time to go!" Amanuma informed.

"I'm coming," Kai called back, waving for Amanuma to go ahead first. He turned his gaze back towards the older man and hardened it. "Stay away from Hiei, or you'll regret it."

The bag of chips that was clutched in Ryu's large hand suddenly busted open with a loud pop; the force of Ryu's angered grip proving to be too much for the flimsy packaging. When the chips began to scatter to the floor, Kai decided to take his leave. He couldn't show any weakness in front of the man, but he was a little spooked by the dangerous glint that was housed in those cold, blue eyes.

He took a deep breath as he spotted Amanuma on the line. Even though he had gone out of his way to rile Ryu up, it was painfully obvious that the man had some anger issues. He was surer than ever that he needed to get involved and help his father by any means possible.

"Everything okay?" Amanuma asked as Kai joined him. "You look a little spooked."

"Yeah…" Kai nodded with a forced grin. "It will be."

* * *

Botan bit at her bottom lip worriedly as she stared off into space. She hadn't seen or heard from Hiei in the past few days and was considering inviting him over in the hopes of giving him a reprieve from whatever his father had been stressing him with. It was probably a futile effort, but it was all she could do for now. She had just pulled up Hiei's contact info when her doorbell distracted her. Her eyes went wide when she saw who her unexpected visitor turned out to be.

"Hiei!" she greeted, a little too excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"You left this at my place," he replied, pulling out the purple bracelet Kai had gotten for her.

"Oh, I was looking all over for this!" she exclaimed, accepting it and sliding it back on her wrist. "Thank you. I've been so afraid of telling Kai that I misplaced it!"

"Hn."

She smiled back at him, taking in his condition. She was glad to see him looking more like himself and less like the drained version she had taken care of before. The color had returned to his skin and the strength and surety had returned to his posture. He wore a simple pair of black slacks and a charcoal grey top. Looking down at herself, she realized that she was still donned in her pink pajama pants and matching tank top. How embarrassing.

"It looks like you've had a productive day," he mocked.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I finished a few days worth of columns and I did a little spring cleaning," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's summer," Hiei deadpanned.

"Well… better late than never, right?" she said with a flustered chuckle.

"Hn."

The two stood there silently for a moment before Botan finally mustered up the courage to ask him what she had wanted to all along.

"Um, anyway, since you're already here: do you want to come in for a while?" she offered.

She knew that he had been holed up at home or at the office and she figured he needed a change of pace. He seemed to be comfortable enough in her home and she hoped it would be a nice change of scenery and a temporary distraction, at the very least. She stared back at him hopefully, while he took his sweet time answering. Hiei paused for a moment and she could already hear the declination making its way out of his mouth.

"Kai would be really happy to see you too," she added wistfully.

She saw his frown break and knew that she had gotten him right where she wanted him. Never mind the fact that Kai was currently out on his field trip. He was due to return soon anyway, so she didn't feel too guilty about using their son to bait him into stopping by for a while.

"Fine, but only for a little while," Hiei relented, stepping inside.

Botan grinned victoriously and clapped her hands together.

"I'll go make us some snacks, while you make yourself comfortable."

Hiei wandered over to his acclaimed spot on the sofa and Botan made her way to the kitchen. She fished her phone out of her pocket and quickly texted the others. _Hiei's here and he appears to be doing better than before. Going to try and take his mind off of things for a while._ She hit send and then pocketed her phone. Everyone was worried and they all had a right to know that he was doing just a bit better. When she heard Hiei's phone let off a notification, she froze in a mixture of horror and mortification. She had completely forgotten that Hiei was a part of the group chat and now he had just been alerted to her message.

"What the hell is this?" he asked her angrily, holding his phone out for her to see her blunder.

"Um, well… I just…" she trailed off nervously.

Hiei let out a tired sigh.

"Forget it. I'm leaving."

"Wait, don't be like that!" she urged, placing a hand on his arm to halt him. "Just…just stay here for a while. At least the very least, you'll be able to get your mind off of things."

Hiei's shoulders relaxed and Botan let go of him.

"I didn't mean anything by it," she continued. "I just wanted everyone to know that you were doing well, considering the circumstances."

His gaze was cast downwards as he spoke.

"How much do you know?"

"Well, I know that Ryu mistreated you in the past and was involved in a lot of crime," she answered hesitantly. "And now he's trying to use you again."

"What about Kai," Hiei started. "How much does the boy know?"

"You know how stubborn and insistent he can be," Botan began with a guilty frown. "He heard us talking and he even researched some things online. He might know more than me at this point."

Hiei looked over at Kai's room door, but did not say a word.

"He's not home, but he should be back any minute now," Botan explained. "He's been very worried these past few days."

"He shouldn't worry," Hiei replied tightly.

"He can't help it. We all feel the same as well," Botan said.

"There is no need to be," Hiei maintained in a tone that confirmed his agitation. "Everything is fine."

 _It doesn't look that way to me_ , she thought sadly.

"Don't give me that look."

Botan's eyes went wide in confusion.

"What look?"

"Like you're staring at wounded puppy," he accused with a frown.

"I'm sorry, I just… I don't know what I can do for you and it's driving me crazy."

"You don't have to do anything at all."

"Well… what does Ryu want from you?" she asked instead.

"Money."

Botan's mouth fell open.

"That's extortion!"

"Not in the eyes of the law. It simply looks like a son helping his father," Hiei answered bitterly.

"Why don't you just say no? He can't force you to do anything," Botan countered. "It's not like he's got any control over you."

Hiei's gaze rested on her calmly and pointedly. And just like that, she immediately understood.

"No…" she said, shaking her head. "You're doing this because he's threatening you with us?"

Hiei looked away and Botan felt her heart breaking at the revelation that Hiei was trying to protect all of them. He shouldn't have had to bear the brunt of everything on his own. They could all work together to get rid of Ryu.

"Well, he doesn't scare me," Botan announced daringly. "Let him try it and he'll get a taste of my trusty metal bat."

"You're no match for him," Hiei stated grimly. "He's not opposed to doing horrible things to women and children. He doesn't have any remorse, either."

"Then we'll simply have to catch him in the act!" Botan suggested animatedly. "I know! We can record him threatening you and show it to the police."

Hiei shook his head.

"A threat isn't enough to land him back in jail. And once he gets wind of it, he will retaliate."

Botan frowned.

"Then what can we do?"

"There is no _we_ , woman," Hiei reminded her. "This is my problem."

"Hiei-"

"I'm not a child who needs to be coddled and I don't want your pity," he cut in defensively.

"It's not pity!" she explained with an exasperated sigh. "Can't you tell that I care about you and I just want you to be okay?"

The anger drained from Hiei's expression and he simply stared back her wordlessly. There was something in his gaze that caused her heart to flutter and cheeks to heat up.

"I mean… we all do. Yukina and Kuwabara, Kurama and Shizuru, Yusuke and Kai. We all care about you," she tried to clarify, willing her heart to stop beating so loudly.

Hiei snapped out of his stunned state and shook his head.

"You're all wasting your energy worrying over me. I'm fine."

"No, you're not," she denied. "To be honest, I don't know how you haven't lost your mind yet. You're one of the most settled and assured people I know, but even the strongest people have their limits. Even they need a little help, sometimes."

"I don't need help. What I need is to be left alone."

"But-"

"I don't want to discuss this anymore. I'm tired of it," Hiei said dismissively.

Botan frowned. There was a weary note to his tone and a resigned look in his eyes that she wasn't used to seeing. This was taking its toll on him and she supposed all of her pestering wasn't doing him any good.

"I understand. It can't be fun talking about such personal details."

"Hn."

"So, I suppose I should share," she decided.

"What?"

"Why don't we even the playing field? I learned a lot about you without your consent, but you hardly know a thing about me."

"I didn't realize you were keeping track," he replied stiffly.

"I wasn't, but I figured you might like to take the spotlight off of you for now."

Hiei leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Botan the cue to speak. She figured this could help take his mind off of things.

"I was thrown around from orphanage to orphanage until I landed in a foster home when I was ten. It wasn't ideal, but I suppose it was better than nothing." She paused as she remembered all those years ago. "To this day, I've never met my parents. I spent so much time wondering what was wrong with me, wondering why they didn't want me. I thought that my life would be easier if they did."

"Trust me, woman. Sometimes we really are better off without them," Hiei interjected.

"You're right," she agreed. "Anyway, I was lucky enough to meet Koenma and Hinageshi very early in my life. Then I befriended Yusuke, Kuwabara and Shizuru in college. I met you and Kurama because of them. And we met Kai by chance. You're not just my friends… you're my family. I don't need to wonder about my parents anymore because I've got all of you."

He didn't say anything, but she didn't expect him to.

"So, what I'm trying to say is: even if I our situations are completely different and you don't need help, I still want to be there because you meant a lot to me," Botan revealed. "You might be an absolute menace sometimes, but you're still a dear friend to me and if you need anything, I'll be here."

Even though she was bordering on the extreme end of the sentimentality spectrum – a place that Hiei was not entirely comfortable with – she felt as though Hiei needed to hear these words. He stared at her with that unreadable look in his crimson eyes again, before casting his gaze elsewhere.

"I know that," Hiei admitted. "You didn't have to say it out loud."

Botan smiled softly, having realized that she had touched a small part of him. Her newfound crush aside – she was glad that she could be there for him as a friend. Figuring that she had done enough, she then reached for the remote and clicked the television on.

"Now that that's out of the way," Botan started, snuggling into the couch and making herself comfortable. "Let's watch some reality TV and forget about life for a little while!"

Hiei made a noise of disapproval, but did not argue with her as he took a seat. They stayed like that for a while, with Botan making comments here and there and Hiei letting out disparaging remarks about the shows as well as Botan's tastes. Eventually his insults lessened and when she turned to view him, she was surprised to see that he had fallen asleep. She leaned in closer to examine him, glad to see that his expression was neutral and calm. At least he wasn't troubled in his sleep. Botan covered him with the blanket she had been using and continued to watch him silently. Her heart was beating rapidly and that lightheaded feeling returned. This was not the time for her crush to come and hit her full force, but her mind was betraying her will.

"I'm back!" Kai called out, startling Botan as he shuffled into the apartment.

"Shhh." Botan brought a finger to her lips, a smile painted on her mouth. "Hiei's sleeping."

"He's here?" Kai asked, brows jumping upwards in surprise as he made his way over to the couch. The boy frowned slightly, leaning in to examine the older man. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's just tired."

Kai's eyes remained on Hiei's sleeping form and she could almost see the wheels turning in her son's mind.

"He's really okay," Botan supported again. "I suppose work has just been a little more demanding lately."

Kai didn't look too convinced, so she tried to distract him.

"How was your field trip?"

"It was great," he answered, his full focus still kept on Hiei.

"That's wonderful. Do you want me to make you anything for dinner?"

"That's okay, we had dinner already."

"Alright then. How about a snack?" she offered.

"No thanks."

Kai continued to stare at Hiei and Botan crossed her arms over her chest.

"Kai?"

"Hm?"

"I don't think Hiei will appreciate you examining him as if he were a monkey in a zoo," Botan mentioned.

"Sorry," Kai said sheepishly, taking a step back. "He just looks so…"

"Human?" she asked. Botan placed her hands on her knees and leaned in to get a closer look.

"Yeah…" Kai agreed.

"I know. He usually seems so tough and indomitable," she said with a soft smile. "Right now, he just looks like the rest of us."

Hiei began to stir in his sleep and both Kai and Botan turned the other way, both pretending as though they hadn't just been blatantly staring at the man. His eyes fluttered open moments later and once he realized where he was, he pulled the covers off and looked down at his watch.

"I should go," Hiei mentioned.

"Or you can just stay here," Kai suggested.

A brief look of confusion crept over Hiei's face.

"What?"

"If your dad is bothering you, you should just stay with us," Kai clarified.

Botan remained silent. She had been teetering on the edge of saying the same thing, but she knew that Hiei would decline. Hiei paused for a moment, before shaking his head.

"That's not necessary."

"Are you sure?" Kai asked, leaning over the armrest of the chair to give Hiei a critical look.

"I'm sure," Hiei replied evenly, pushing Kai lightly out of his personal space. "Ryu isn't an issue."

"…Can I stay with you tonight then?" Kai pressed.

Hiei looked over at Botan in uncertainty and she merely shrugged.

"I'll be good, I promise," Kai started with wide, pleading eyes.

"Kai," Hiei started to decline.

"Please? I just…" Kai paused, before letting out a sigh and coming out with it. "I missed you."

Hiei was taken aback for a moment, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. Botan knew that there was no way that Hiei could deny him now; it was a losing battle from the start. Soon enough Hiei's gaze returned to its guarded state and he nodded impassively.

"Fine," Hiei conceded.

Kai flashed one of his brightest smiles in that moment and she was sure that Hiei did not regret his decision.

"I'll pack his things," Botan offered, disappearing into Kai's room before Hiei could have the chance to change his mind. Kai followed suit, pulling his school uniform out of the closet and placing it on his bed.

"…Can I keep your camera for another day?" he asked hesitantly.

Botan blinked as he pulled out the digital camera she had allowed him to bring on the field trip. She saw no harm in it if Kai had picked up a new hobby.

"Sure, but it's not a toy," Botan reminded him. "You have to be very careful with it."

"I will be, I promise!"

"Well, alright, then."

A few moments later, they re-entered the living area. Hiei had been reading a short report Kai had written that was posted to the fridge. As usual, he had aced it. She was going to start running out of room for all of his accomplishments if he kept this up.

"I packed all of Kai's things; just call me if you two needed anything else," Botan announced. "The school bus leaves at 7:15 sharp."

Hiei nodded and moved to put his shoes on while Botan bent down to hug Kai.

"Be on your best behavior now," she whispered, before pulling away to ruffle his powder blue hair.

Kai nodded obediently.

"Love you," he said.

"Love you more," she replied like clockwork, before kissing his cheek.

She waved at them as they exited her apartment. It would be good for the two of them to spend some quality time alone. If anything, their time together would at least ease Kai's mind and also distract Hiei's. It wasn't as though a single night would solve all of their problems, but Botan was starting to feel a little bit better about this whole situation.

* * *

Kai was thrilled that he was going to get to spend the entire night with Hiei. If his creep of a father showed up, at least Kai would be there too. Hiei showed him the guest room where he would stay for the night and Kai unloaded all of his things on the bed. It was way bigger than his at home.

"Are you hungry?" Hiei asked as Kai returned to the living room.

"No," Kai answered as he flopped down on the couch. "I'm good."

He could hear Hiei fixing something for himself in the kitchen and he grinned. It had been a while since he got to spend any one on one time with Hiei. Maybe he would even let him stay up late. Just as he was figuring out what they could do for the next few hours, there was a knock at the door.

"Go to the guest room," Hiei instructed.

"Okay."

While Hiei's back was turned to him, Kai set Botan's camera on the table closest the door, angling it so that it would capture the entire conversation. He hit the button to record and then hid himself around the corner and out of sight. The sound of the door opening was followed by Hiei's gruff voice.

"What do you want?"

"I wouldn't be so rude, boy. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious son and that pretty girl you've been keeping all to yourself."

Kai's eyes widened as he clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his gasp. That old scumbag was using him as leverage. And Botan too! It was no wonder why Hiei went along with whatever he said. But Kai could take care of himself and so could Botan. He owed it to Hiei to make things right and his resolve hardened as he continued to listen to the conversation.

"I told you not to threaten me by using them."

He laughed.

"We both know you don't have any power over me, son."

"What do you want?" Hiei asked again.

"A few of us are meeting this Friday at the old warehouse on the docks down south at noon. The place is completely cleared out and nobody goes there anymore; perfect spot for us to meet up. You should clear your schedule and make it a point to be there."

"I already told you, I have no intentions in involving myself in any of your business."

"And I already told you, you're the only one I want to take my place."

"Then we're at a stalemate."

"You'll give in one day, Hiei. You'll see," Ryu promised. "But in the meantime, I need more money."

"How much?"

"A thousand."

"You'll have it tomorrow."

"Or you can bring it to me on Friday. You know where I'll be."

The sound of the door closing caused Kai to step out into the hallway. He was visibly upset and didn't bother hiding it.

"What's wrong?" Hiei asked, folding his arms over his chest as he stared down at Kai.

"Ryu," Kai started. "I know what he did to you."

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"That doesn't make it okay," Kai reasoned. His little hands were balled into fists and eyes narrowed into a glare. "You can't let him use you like this... you just can't."

Hiei was silent for a moment, but then he spoke.

"What happens between Ryu and I isn't your concern."

Kai huffed defiantly, crossing his arms tightly in front of his chest.

"I mean it," Hiei ordered.

"But-"

"No but's," Hiei interrupted. "Listen to me, Kai, this isn't your problem."

"Yes it is!"

"No, it isn't," Hiei said, losing his patience.

"Yes it is!" he insisted stubbornly. "We can work together, please. I can help you!"

"I said no," Hiei barked harshly, voice raised in anger. "Stay out of it, Kai. Don't make me repeat myself."

Angry tears welled up in the boy's eyes and he sniffled. He was frustrated and angry and upset and he didn't know what to do. At the sight of his tears, Hiei sighed and dragged a hand over his face tiredly.

"I can't afford to involve you," Hiei stated, much quieter this time.

"Because I'm just a kid and you think I can't handle it?" Kai asked bitterly, before wiping at his eyes and then looking off to the side.

"Because I can't afford to put you in any danger," Hiei explained. "Because I'm protecting you the only way I know how to."

Kai looked up at Hiei and sniffed once more.

"But I don't want your dad to hurt you again," Kai confessed.

"He won't," Hiei reassured.

"How do you know that?" Kai asked.

"Because I won't let him," he replied.

Kai searched his crimson eyes, staring at him seriously. Hiei seemed sure and confident with himself, but Kai wasn't convinced. Ryu was dangerous and he had ensured Hiei's compliance by using the rest of them as leverage. Kai would just have to do this on his own.

"Alright, I understand," Kai said after a while.

It was better this way. He was much more accustomed to doing things alone in the first place. And now he had a place and a time for where and when he could catch Ryu in the act.

* * *

After Hiei had seen Kai off to his bus, he dropped off the payment for Ryu at his hotel and then went on to have a rather uneventful Thursday at work. With hardly any meetings or conference calls, the day seemed to drag on. Haru had even been less distracting and energetic than usual, which was highly suspicious in and of itself, but Hiei would take any form of peace that he could get.

No matter how quiet and peaceful his day seemed to be going, though, he could not get his conversation with Kai out of his head. The boy was more than just worried for him; he was highly upset by everything. Kai had even wasted tears on him. Hiei had to wonder if Yukina was in the same position. Was she crying for him as well? He hated it when she cried.

And that's how he found himself at Shizuru Kuwabara's apartment later that night. He knocked on the door and waited patiently. If Shizuru was surprised to see him there, she didn't show it. She only stared back at him calmly, as she motioned for him to come inside.

"Come on in," she urged, stepped aside so that he could make his way in.

Her brown hair whipped to the side as she turned to call for Yukina.

"You've got a visitor."

"I do?"

Yukina stepped out of a room to the left, still in her nurse's scrubs and looking tired from her twelve-hour shift. Her ruby eyes went wide upon seeing him standing there and she took a careful step forward, while Shizuru quietly took her leave.

"Brother, it's so good to see you," she said, a small smile painted on her lips. There was caution in her eyes though, and she searched his gaze intently as her smile dropped. "Is everything okay?"

Hiei nodded.

"I was in the area," he explained shortly.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to stop by," she admitted, smiling brightly. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"No," he answered truthfully.

"Let me get something for you," she offered, moving to the kitchen immediately.

"Yukina," he started. "That's not necessary."

"It's really no trouble. I just have to reheat it," she said, motioning to the food already on the stove.

"Fine," he relented as she went back to work.

He had only ever been to Shizuru's apartment once a few years ago. She won a huge case and the others had decided to throw a surprise celebration for her. As he looked around the apartment, he realized that not much had changed. Her apartment was all muted tones with minimalist decor. He spotted an exotic looking plant in the corner of the living area that hadn't been there before. It could have only come from Kurama, he realized. And there were two drawings from Kai posted on the fridge along with an old photograph of her and Kuwabara from when they were younger. The elder Kuwabara sibling was far more sentimental than she led them to believe, he thought with a smirk.

"Dinner's ready," Yukina said as she set everything out for him on the table. She had made a beef pot and Hiei only realized just how hungry he was when he sat down and took in the scent of it all. She always was an exceptional cook. As he quietly ate his dinner, Yukina sat beside him and filled him in on the regular happenings of her life. They talked about nearly everything – everything except for Ryu, and for that, Hiei was grateful. She told him all about her regular patients and her other coworkers. She told him about the long days and even longer nights and the hardships and accomplishments she had made. Although Hiei didn't speak much, he was contented to hear about his sister's life. He was guilty of not being there enough, but he figured this was a start.

Hearing that she was doing well was all that he needed in the end. And it was clear that her spirits had brightened due to his impromptu visit as well. Perhaps he was learning after all.

Minutes later, Yukina had insisted on doing the dishes and cleaning up. Feeling awkward and out of place, Hiei's gaze wandered around the apartment until he spotted Shizuru standing out on the balcony, having a smoke. Kurama and Kai both hated that habit of hers, but he didn't care what the brunette chose to do to her own body. He stepped out onto the balcony, crossing his arms over his chest. The night air was cool and comforting. He didn't even mind the smell of the smoke.

"This is new," Shizuru drawled out after taking a long drag. Her cigarette rested carefully between her index and middle finger and she stared forward with a calm look on her face. "You initiating a conversation with me for a change."

"Don't get used to it," he told her. "I just thought it best if I told you that I appreciate what you did for Yukina."

"Of course. She's not just your sister. She's my friend, too."

"I know that."

"As long as we're on the same page," she mused.

Hiei paused for a moment, before deciding to come out with it.

"Has Ryu shown up?"

Shizuru shook her head.

"No, he hasn't been anywhere near the vicinity. And he won't come around here if he knows what's good for him."

Hiei cracked a smirk at that. Even he had to admit that Shizuru Kuwabara was not one to trifle with.

The two were silent for a while and then she finally glanced over at him. Her expression was level and tone devoid of any pity or sympathy as she asked him the question that all the others had asked before.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"I see," she replied decisively, snubbing her cigarette on the ashtray she had carried with her. "I'm sure you know how concerned we all are for you, so I won't waste my breath. It's good that you decided to come out here tonight. Yukina is really happy to see you, so you should stay for as long as you like."

And he did.

* * *

The next morning found Hiei leafing through the piles of documents on his desk. It had been a busy morning, but Hiei preferred those to the slow humdrum of a quiet day. He was feeling much less guilty now that he had visited Yukina, but he couldn't help the unsettling feeling that something would go wrong any minute now. And when Botan barged into his office ten minutes later, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Is Kai with you?" she asked quickly.

Hiei frowned.

"No."

"He's not at school," Botan revealed anxiously. "I saw him board the bus this morning and then the office called about his attendance. If he isn't at school, then that means that he left on his own."

Hiei's frown deepened, but he said nothing as he thought of the possible places Kai might be. The park, maybe. Or with one of the others.

"I'm really worried," Botan admitted. "Kai isn't the type to just run off and skip school like this."

She was right, the boy wasn't the type to do something so careless. He loved school and today was his last day of the school year. Hiei felt as though he were missing something, a crucial reason as to why Kai would choose now of all times to play hooky.

"Shit," Hiei cursed as the realization dawned on him. "Ryu was planning something today and Kai was insistent on catching him."

Botan's eyes widened in horror.

"He-he can't have gone... he wouldn't…" she trailed off.

"He would," Hiei confirmed. "The boy is far too independent for his own good."

"This is horrible," Botan moaned. "We have to find him!"

Hiei stood up from his seat and exited his office.

"Where are you going?" she asked, trailing behind him.

"I know where it is," Hiei revealed as he entered the elevators and hit the ground floor.

"Perfect. I'm coming with you."

"No, you aren't."

"I'm not leaving him there alone. I have to make sure he's okay."

"He won't be alone," Hiei insisted. "I'm going to get him."

"With my help!" Botan added.

Hiei rolled his eyes as they entered the parking garage below the building. She would be too much of a liability. He just needed to get in, get Kai and get out. The woman knew nothing of subtlety and stealth.

"I'm going alone," he said authoritatively.

"No, you aren't."

"We don't have time for this," Hiei ground out as he unlocked the car doors.

"Precisely why we should stop arguing and start being proactive!" Botan said as she sat down in the passenger's seat and buckled herself in. "Well, what are you waiting for? We have to get Kai!"

Hiei let out another curse as he walked around to the driver's seat and resigned himself to his fate. He sped off in search of the warehouse down south while Botan became more frantic and rattled by the second. They were at a stoplight and she was just short of hysterical now.

"What if we don't make it in time?" Botan asked. "What if something happens to him?"

"He's a smart boy," Hiei reasoned, despite his own rising panic. "He will keep himself out of trouble."

"But he's just a child and they're all dangerous. I can't lose him, Hiei. I just can't," she choked back a sob, her breathing erratic.

"Look at me, woman. I won't let anything happen to Kai," he promised her. "We won't lose him. Do you understand me?"

Botan was searching for some sort of surety in his gaze and she must have found it, because she nodded in understanding.

"You're right," she agreed. "I can't afford to think like that. He's going to be okay. We're going to be okay."

"We're going to find him and we're going to bring him back home," he said firmly.

"And then we're going to ground him until he's eighteen," she said half-heartedly.

"Hn. I was thinking more along the lines of twenty one," Hiei responded.

Botan let out a small chuckle in spite of herself. Her brow was still pinched with worry, but her frown had lessened somewhat and the hysterics toned down. Hiei refocused his gaze on the road ahead of him and was off as soon as the light turned green again. The two remainder of the car ride was spent in silence until they reached the docks.

"Stay in here," he ordered as he removed his seatbelt.

"No way, I'm not letting you go in there alone!"

"Do you have any fighting experience?"

"Do you?" she shot back.

"I'm a black belt," he said flatly. "And I've been in far more fights than you have."

"You shouldn't underestimate the lengths a mother will go for her child," she countered determinedly. "I'm going with you and that's final."

He could see the resolve in those candy-colored eyes and realized that any future arguments would be futile.

"Fine," he granted. "But you follow my lead and don't do anything unless I tell you to."

"Alright."

The vacant docks were the perfect place for Ryu to hold his business; no one lived in the surrounding area and it was relatively uninhibited. There were two men on the lookout at the front of the building. Hiei and Botan snuck through the back easily enough. When they spotted Kai crouched between boxes of crates, relief flooded Hiei. The boy was too busy was peering inside of the warehouse from a cracked window to notice them, but he was safe and sound; he hadn't been hurt.

Botan opened her mouth to call out to him, but Hiei clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her behind some barrels as two more men began surveying the area. Kai must have heard the shuffle because he looked in their direction and his eyes widened once he spotted them.

Botan put a finger to her lips and Kai nodded obediently. He pointed to the camera and gave them two thumbs up, before slipping it in his pocket. Hiei couldn't help but frown. The boy really did come here to get evidence against Ryu; he had essentially risked his own safety to ensure Hiei's. His chest constricted uncomfortably at the thought. He wasn't used to being taken care of, especially by a child.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a gasp from Botan and upon following her line of sight, he noticed that one of the guards had wandered over to Kai's location.

"I knew I smelled a rat," he sneered as he reached down to pull Kai out of his hiding place. Hiei and Botan were instantly on their feet, their cover blown as they each moved to assist Kai. Three guards were surrounding them and one had apprehended Kai. Hiei had knocked the first two men unconscious with a practiced ease, but when the third pulled out a gun and pointed it at Botan, he froze. Amethyst eyes widened fearfully and she paled as she stared down the barrel of the gun.

"Don't move," the man told Hiei. "Try anything fishy and she will pay the price."

"Let the woman and the boy go," Hiei commanded, sounding surprisingly calm despite the thundering of his heart in his chest. "I won't resist."

"You aren't in a place to be making negotiations," the man replied, using the gun to point towards the warehouse. "Now get inside."

One of the men grabbed Botan and ushered her inside, while the previous one held the gun towards Hiei and watched as he followed behind. When all three of them were inside of the warehouse, Hiei spotted Ryu. He was surrounded by other thugs and goons and they were all armed as well. He could see a blade holstered behind one man's leg, a gun strapped to the hip of the next man, and another pistol concealed haphazardly by Ryu's jacket. There were only two exits, but there was no way of getting out when there were so many eyes on them. It would be difficult to get out of this situation, but he had to do something.

"What do we have here," Ryu said, stepping over to them. "My meddlesome son and his even more meddlesome little family."

"Let them go," Hiei directed. "They shouldn't have come here."

"They shouldn't have. And it is a mistake they will pay for with their lives," Ryu promised.

Hiei clenched his teeth as Ryu strode toward Botan, cupping her chin with his hand.

"Maybe we can have a little fun with this one first," he suggested lewdly.

Kai opened his mouth to respond, but Hiei shook his head at him. Although Ryu's words had caused Hiei's blood to boil, he knew that showing any reaction would only fuel Ryu further.

Botan glowered at Ryu, wrenching away from his grip. His eyes raked over her form one last time, before stepping in front of Kai.

"Or maybe I'll kill the kid first, right in front of his parents," Ryu stated, with a sick grin as he toyed with the idea. "Would certainly teach my own brat a lesson about crossing me."

Hiei and Botan glared at him and he smirked as he stepped over to face Hiei.

"Or, I could get rid of Hiei first," he considered, looking over at Kai and Botan. "You two are so desperate to protect him. Seeing the anguish on your faces as I finally snub the fire from his eyes might be worth it."

"I told you to leave him alone," Kai warned.

"You're still making threats kid?" Ryu laughed. "You're completely helpless, but you've still got that look in your eye. Like you think you're better than me. Hiei used to give me that same stare too."

"It's because we are better than you," Kai pointed out.

"Kai, don't provoke him!" Botan chastised.

"But it's the truth. He's a lowlife criminal. And people like him always get caught."

"Maybe, but at least I'll have disposed of you before that," Ryu snarled, moving until he was directly in front of Kai.

When Ryu pulled out a gun, the instinctive and defensive urge to protect what was his washed over Hiei. He had taken care of the fool who had been holding him back in a flash and, after a quick glance to his right, noted that Botan had done the same with a well-placed elbow to the groin on the man who had accosted her. Hiei was already a few steps ahead of Botan, but he knew that she had the same train of thought as him. There was a sick smirk on Ryu's face as he lowered the weapon to aim at Kai's body. The boy screwed his eyes shut and tensed up, but the shot never rang out. Hiei tackled Ryu to the floor and Ryu lost the gun in the shuffle. Hiei saw red as he thought of what Ryu was about to do and landed a punch that emitted a sickening crack from Ryu's jaw. He continued to wail on the man, pouring all of his frustrations out on him in an effort to release the rage that had built up over the years. When Hiei spotted the gun about a foot away, he had grabbed it without any conscious thought.

The remaining two guards who had now apprehended Botan and Kai moved forward to assist Ryu when they spotted the position he was in.

"Stay out of it," Ryu croaked, face slicked with blood. "I can handle him."

Hiei turned the gun over in his hands. He had never held one before and it felt oddly heavy.

"Hiei, don't…" Botan murmured, as she struggled against a burly man's hold.

"Go on, boy," Ryu urged. "Show them all how dark you really are."

Hiei's finger hovered over the trigger. Just one pull and everything would be over. It would be so easy. Ryu deserved this. He had deserved this a thousand times over. All Hiei had to do was—

"Hiei…" Kai's small voice brought him back to reality and he snapped out of it. Death would be too quick and merciful for Ryu; he needed to suffer for what he had done and for what he had attempted to do to all of them today. Besides, Hiei didn't want Kai to see him doing something like this.

"You're not worth the extra effort," Hiei spat coldly as he stood up.

At that moment, the front door flew open and a handful of policemen flooded the warehouse. The other men began to scatter, but none of them got very far. Genuine fear overtook Ryu's blue eyes and relief and satisfaction filled Hiei.

"Back to your old ways, I see," one of the cops said as he approached Ryu. He was tall in stature and had blue hair similar to Kai's and Botan's. Judging by the dark scowl on Ryu's face, the two must have some bad history stirring between them.

"Shunjun," Ryu growled out. "How did you know where I was?"

Kai grinned, waving his fingers tauntingly at Ryu.

"That would be me."

"You," he scowled, eyes flashing in anger.

"I'd be careful of what you said right now," Shunjun said as he placed cuffs on Ryu's wrists and recited his rights. Ryu was glaring at Kai the entire time, but the boy's smug grin did not waver at all. Shunjun then looked over at Kai with an impressed air as another one of his partners took Ryu away.

"Hey kid?" Shunjun started.

"Yeah?"

"You're the one who called us about his school report a little while ago, aren't you? I recognize your voice."

"That was me, yeah," Kai started sheepishly. "I didn't really have a report, I just wanted some answers on how to catch Ryu." He paused to pull out the digital camera and hand it over. "I even got a pictures of him and the rest of the guys involved in the deal. And I've got him saying a bunch of bad things on the video too."

"You're very thorough, aren't you?"

Kai ducked his head in embarrassment.

"I guess…"

"Well, I can't say I'm glad that a kid was my biggest ally, but I am glad that all of this ended without any casualties," Shunjun concluded as he rested a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You did well, but from now on, make sure you stay out of trouble."

"I will," Kai promised with a nod.

The police officer then turned to Hiei.

"I'm going to need you three to stop by the precinct to make a couple of statements. Can you do that?"

"We will," Hiei agreed.

"We'll make it as quick and painless as possible. Feel free to follow us down there."

Hiei nodded in agreement. By the time he turned back to face Botan and Kai, Botan had scooped him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. She held him for a few long moments, before releasing him and frowning down at him.

"I'm so glad that you're alright, but I'm also very angry with you."

"But I-"

"You acted very dangerously and recklessly."

"I only came to see him get arrested. I just wanted to make sure that he was gone for good!" Kai rationalized.

"And I told you not to get involved!" Botan shot back.

"I just-"

"No excuses," Hiei stepped in. "You could've gotten hurt. Or worse."

"But I couldn't let that creep get away with hurting you again!" Kai exclaimed in a huff.

Hiei went silent at that and Botan's angry expression was replaced by a softer and more accepting one. He could understand Kai's sentiments on some level – after all, if Kai was in trouble, he would do the same. But he was an adult; Kai was just a child.

"I don't need you to protect me," Hiei asserted. "You either, woman. I could have handled this on my own."

"That's what family does, Hiei," Botan said gently. "Whether you need it or not."

"Yeah, we've always got your back," Kai supported.

Hiei couldn't ignore the swell of emotion that had submerged from the depths of his heart. The boy was always looking out for him. Always giving him the benefit of the doubt. And Botan had done the same.

"Hn, you're both far too meddlesome," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and averting his gaze entirely.

"You're welcome," Kai grinned proudly.

"Hey, don't get too pleased with yourself," Botan ordered, nudging the boy. "You're not off the hook yet, mister. You were extremely reckless and disobedient."

Kai winced guiltily.

"…I'm sorry."

"No laptop or television for an entire month."

His eyes went wide in horror.

"But I caught the bad guy!"

"And we're very thankful. But you still put yourself in danger and disregarded all sorts of rules in doing what you did."

He huffed indignantly and turned away from Botan entirely. The woman only shook her head knowingly, before bopping Kai's nose with her index finger and giving him a warm smile. Soon enough, the boy's displeasure gave way to mirth and he was grinning as much as she was. Hiei watched the entire exchange silently. The fact that Kai was standing there, safe and sound was almost unfathomable. Things could have gone much worse and they were all lucky to be unharmed and unscathed. Hiei didn't think he could have recovered if they had lost Kai today; in fact, just the thought of it was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. Kai had become one of the most important people in his life without him even fully realizing what that meant. He didn't know just how much he loved the boy until he had almost lost him.

"Kai," Hiei started.

"Hm?" asked, tilting his head curiously as he waited for Hiei to continue.

"You'll stay with me on Saturday," he ordered. The need to keep the boy close to him was probably the most sentimental feeling Hiei had ever experienced, but he could not be bothered to care in this moment.

Kai's eyes rounded in surprise.

"Really? You want me to come over?"

Hiei looked over to Botan and she nodded her consent. Kai's grin widened upon witnessing the exchange and he nodded his head eagerly.

"Awesome!" he cheered.

The three of them made their way back to Hiei's car and Botan had opted to sit in the backseat with Kai. As he started the engine and rolled down the windows, he realized that for the first time in a while, he could finally breathe easy. The nightmare was over. Ryu would soon be incarcerated again, everyone was safe and he had nothing left to worry about and it was all thanks to Kai. He glanced back at him from the rear view mirror and saw that Botan was busy doting over him while Kai acted as though he didn't need any extra attention. Hiei's chest was filled with warmth at the sight of Kai being there; right where he belonged.

When the boy had barreled into his life, Hiei had treated it as though it was all one big curse. He thought that his life would be ruined, but he was wrong. A few short months later had changed everything. He couldn't imagine a life without Kai, and thankfully, he wouldn't have to. He might have made some grave mistakes at the start of his fatherhood, but Hiei had no intentions of wasting the second chance that he was given.

* * *

And that is the end of the whole Ryu fiasco! The next chapter will be back to your regularly scheduled fluff and sweet times. Thanks for the reviews so far; you guys are awesome. Let me know what you thought about this chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

July 7th, 2016

"Happy birthday to you~"

Botan's heart filled with warmth as the gang sang an off-key, but endearing tune for her birthday. Of course, Hiei had refrained from singing much of anything, standing off to the side with his mouth set in a neutral line and hands in his pockets. Kai stood beside him, the flames of the candles reflected in his bright eyes as he sung along cheerily. Yusuke and Kuwabara bellowed out notes that Botan didn't think previously existed, while Kurama, Shizuru and Yukina continued the song in a much less enthusiastic, but just as sincere manner.

A few months ago she was lamenting over just how much of a failure she seemed to be, but now, here she was. She had a son that she loved with every fiber of her being, great friends who felt more like family than anything else and a job that she actually enjoyed. Life didn't get much better than this. When the song ended, she glanced down at the strawberry shortcake and the chocolate plaque that read 'Happy Birthday Botan' in the center, before closing her eyes and blowing out the candles. Her wish was a simple one: she hoped that they could all stay as close and as happy as they were now, no matter what may befall them in the future.

"Thanks everyone," Botan smiled.

After they had cut the cake and eaten it, Kai brought her a small wrapped gift.

"Open mine first!" he insisted.

"Alright," she agreed, unwrapping it to reveal the present inside. She let out a gasp at the sight of a rose gold necklace and heart pendant. "Oh, Kai, it's lovely."

He blushed lightly as his features brightened.

"I knew you would like it."

"Where did you even get the money for this?" she wondered.

Kai's purple eyes drifted over to Hiei wordlessly and Botan's mouth fell open.

"Hiei, you shouldn't have," she started.

"He insisted," Hiei replied plainly, as if that was all that needed to be said.

Botan knew that there would be no point in arguing and she did not want to risk hurting Kai's feelings in any way, so she simply pressed her lips together and swallowed the protests that were on her tongue. She would have to get Hiei something really nice for his birthday to make up for the cost of her own gift, she decided.

"Oh, you should open Hiei's next," Kai cut in, motioning for Hiei to make his move.

Botan watched as Hiei pulled an even smaller box out of his pocket and pushed it into her hands. His fingers brushed against hers lightly and she could still feel their warmth after the contact had ended.

"I didn't see the point in breaking the set," he informed as Botan opened his gift.

Inside of the box was a pair of matching earring studs, plain but beautiful in their simplicity. She was honestly stunned that he had even bothered. Her eyes were wide as she looked back at Hiei, unsure of what to say.

"Don't get sentimental," Hiei warned, looking off to the side tightly. "It was his idea."

Their son was more than happy to take the credit as he beamed at them.

"Yeah, I did all the work," he maintained. "Hiei just paid."

Botan couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Well, thank you both… I love it," she said, before bending down to wrap her arms around Kai in a warm hug.

"I'm glad you do," Kai replied.

She then moved on to open the rest of her presents. Yusuke had gotten her a wonder woman character apron, which Botan absolutely adored, along with a new set of pretty cool kitchen gadgets as an encouragement for his "best pupil". Shizuru gifted her with the new watch she had been eying and Yukina bought her a fragrant new perfume. The two also got her a joint gift of romantic DVD's for their next girls' night, which caused Kai to grimace.

Kurama presented her with a beautiful plant that was both low maintenance and exotic in appearance, along with some seeds for her to start gardening, since she had mentioned to him one time that she was interested. Finally, Kuwabara had gifted her with a gift basket full of her favorite teas, coffees and chocolates, along with an old card game they had played back in their college days.

This was one of the best birthdays she had ever had and her heart was full to the brim with gratitude and joy as she settled beside Kurama on the couch.

"So how's your summer break going?" Yusuke asked Kai. "Glad to be done with school?"

"I liked school. It was fun," he replied, a disappointed frown tugging his features downwards. "Besides I'm grounded for a month so it's been kind of boring."

"You grounded him during summer break? That's rough," Yusuke said, letting out a low whistle.

Although Botan had told Kai that he was grounded for a month, realistically, she knew that it would be impossible. It was his first summer vacation with her after all. And it was the first time he had made friends that he actually wanted to see. It would be too cruel to keep him cooped up at home, so she decided to shorten his sentence to a week.

"Actually, since he's been so good, I've decided that his punishment ends tomorrow," Botan revealed.

Kai moved to get a better view of her, eyes wide in surprise.

"Really, just a week?"

"Bingo," she winked. "But you're still not allowed to go on the laptop or on the television for the rest of the month." After all, she had to instill some sort of discipline into him.

"Okay!"

"That means you've only got one more day of captivity and then you're free," Shizuru encouraged.

"That's right! I almost forgot!" Kai stood up abruptly, looking as though he had remembered something important. He ran to his room and returned moments later with his report card in his hands. He skittered over to Hiei and looked up at him with eager eyes.

"I aced everything," Kai revealed with a proud grin.

Hiei uncrossed his arms to accept the report, opening up the little booklet and reading through Kai's progress without a trace of emotion. He seemed to be satisfied with it as he nodded and closed it.

"Good," he said as he handed it back to Kai.

"You meant what you said, right?" Kai asked, his smile wavering slightly as he waited for Hiei's confirmation. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"I wouldn't have said it unless I meant it."

Kai was grinning brightly now, all signs of discontent and uncertainty washed away.

"You two mind sharing with the rest of the class?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

Kai turned around to face everybody, an air of excitement hanging around him as he spoke.

"Hiei said he'd take me anywhere I wanted if I got all A's!"

Now she understood. With his punishment's end drawing near, Kai could safely become excited over his reward for doing well during the school term. It was such a joy to see Hiei taking an active role in all aspects of Kai's life.

"Have you decided where you want to go?" Yukina inquired, arms folded in her lap as she smiled at Kai.

"Um… I always wanted to go to the beach," he admitted sheepishly. "I've never been there before."

Suddenly all eyes were not so subtly placed on Hiei in order to gage his reaction to Kai's request. His expression hadn't changed from its unreadable state and he ignored everyone else as he locked eyes with Kai.

"A deal is a deal," he confirmed.

"Awesome!" Kai cheered, before casting a glance at the rest of them. "You guys will come too, right?"

"Who could say no to a cute little face like that?" Botan accepted, looking at the rest of her friends. "What do you say?"

The gang had all given similar affirmative replies and Kai's entire expression was alight with excitement.

"If we're going to the beach, we might as well make an entire weekend out of it," Yusuke suggested.

"My parents have a vacation home that we could make use of in Isshiki beach," Kurama offered.

"That settles it," Botan decided. "Isshiki beach, here we come!"

* * *

Saturday morning found Botan and Kai waiting outside on the curb, bags piled beside them. The sun was already shining down unforgivingly as they both remained on the lookout for Yusuke and the gang. She was decked out in a pair of denim jeans, a pink tank top and flip-flops over her favorite yellow bikini. Beside her, Kai stood with his hands concealed in the pocket of his navy blue swimming trunks, features neutral and borderline bored.

In moments like these, he was the splitting image of Hiei. These occurrences happened more often than not, so she should have been used to it, but it always surprised her every time. Whenever his angular eyes narrowed in annoyance, frustration or discontent, she was reminded of Hiei's crimson ones. When Kai's mouth quirked upwards or dropped into a frown, she saw Hiei. The two even shared the same mannerisms and speech patterns at times.

But their similarities ran much deeper than just the physical traits and antics. Kai tried to hide his emotions and put on a callous front in the very same way that Hiei did. His guard had slowly been shed over time, but whenever he met someone new, she saw it again.

It was striking just how alike the two were.

"Whoa, that's a cool bus," Kai said, pulling Botan out of her thoughts.

He pointed over to the black minibus that had rounded the corner and Botan grinned.

Yusuke had somehow managed to get ahold of his friend's minibus, allowing the entire group to travel together. Botan had to admit, he had plenty of connections and they always came in handy.

"Yo," he greeted as he stepped outside, donned in a muscle tank, beach shorts and sunglasses. For once his hair was left untouched and without any gel product, falling around his face and giving him a more youthful appearance.

Kai and Yusuke high-fived each other as the boy made his way onto the bus.

"This was a great idea. It'll be so much traveling together," Botan said excitedly.

Yusuke picked up a few of her bags and they made their way towards the back of the bus.

"Yup, we'll save a ton on gas and preserve the environment, too. I'm a real standup citizen," he teased as opened up the trunk.

"Yusuke Urameshi and stand-up citizen shouldn't ever be said in the same sentence," Botan joked.

He gave her an affronted look as he uploaded her things.

"Careful, there, or else you'll hurt my delicate little feelings."

Botan chuckled. It was always easy to have a good time with Yusuke and she was really glad that he and the others were able to come along.

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend at the beach," she revealed. "It's going to be so much fun."

"Yeah, and I'm excited for all the hotties in swimsuits," Yusuke stated, stuffing her last bag in the overcrowded trunk. He paused to raise his sunglasses to the top of his head and flash her with a mischievous smirk, brown eyes glinting teasingly. "I hope you packed some nice beach wear."

Botan's eyes narrowed as she threw her hands on her hips.

"You are such a pervert!" she berated.

"Aw, you know you love it," he baited as they walked to the front of the bus.

The vehicle was many degrees cooler than the sweltering heat outside and Botan welcomed the coldness of the air condition. Kai was already seated in the three-seater first row, between Yukina and Kuwabara. Shizuru and Kurama had taken up the second row and Hiei was sitting alone in the back. If she sat in the front with Yusuke, she would surely get caught up in some squabble amongst him and Kuwabara, especially since she did have a tendency of getting just as riled up and hotheaded as the two of them. She could squeeze in with Shizuru and Kurama, but they had one empty seat between them and she had absolutely no intentions of ruining the lovely picture that they painted. Her only viable option left was Hiei and she supposed that was fine. The two of them were on good terms, and so long as he never learned of her crush on him, they would remain that way.

Hiei had an elbow propped up on the armrest, face resting against his fist as he glared out of the window. He reminded her of Kai when he was giving her the silent treatment and she had to resist the urge to giggle.

"Hello Hiei," she greeted warmly. The last row housed four seats, but the two of the seats had been folded down to make more room for everyone's belongings, forcing her to sit directly beside him. "I hope you don't mind me joining you back here."

"I don't care either way," he replied curtly.

"Way to make a girl feel welcome, Hiei."

"It's not my job to make you feel welcome, woman."

"We really need to work on your social skills," she commented dryly.

The engine rumbled as Yusuke started the bus and Botan felt her excitement building. The only thing out of place was Hiei and his less than thrilled countenance. Unable to keep to herself, she turned to face him.

"What's with the dark and moody expression?" she questioned lightly. "The weekend hasn't even started yet and you've already gone and gotten yourself into a sour mood."

"You'll understand why soon enough," he grumbled forebodingly.

Botan frowned, looking towards the front of the bus.

"Alright, party people," Yusuke announced as he put the bus into drive. "I gave everyone else the lowdown, but since we have two new passengers, it's time to laydown the law."

"-Not again, Urameshi!" Kuwabara bellowed in exasperation. "This isn't even really your bus!"

"Yeah, but I'm the one driving," Yusuke reasoned coolly, slipping his sunglasses back over his eyes.

Kuwabara muttered an insult under his breath while Yukina smiled and said something consoling, causing the orange-haired man to lose all signs of his irritation.

"Like I was saying, my bus, my rules, and rule number one is that nobody gets to complain about my music," Yusuke informed as he started the radio and found the loudest channel he could. The speakers blasted a heavy metal song about topics that Botan didn't even feel mature enough to be listening to. As all the adults were busy groaning, Yusuke's grin widened so much so that he was flashing most of his teeth. "Oh come on. This song's a classic."

"Honestly, Yusuke, we have a child in the vicinity. Change this nonsense at once!" Botan shrieked, covering her ears.

"Gee, Botan, when did you become such a mom?" he teased, looking over his shoulder to view Kai. "You like this music, don't you, Kai?"

Kai looked as though he were going to give Yusuke the affirmative, but Hiei cut him off.

"Don't answer that," he warned, before glaring at Yusuke. "Turn it off, now."

"Gee, and when did you become such a dad? I didn't realize I would be bringing along the parent brigade," Yusuke carped, before switching the station to something more kid friendly. "You two happy?"

"Just peachy," Botan responded.

"All right, then let's get this show on the road," he exclaimed, as he pulled off and started their journey to the beach.

Botan settled comfortably in her seat, pulling out her phone to check her messages. Koenma and Hinageshi had sent her a few texts, so she replied to them with a simple message and a selfie for visual proof. She was in the middle of snapping some top-secret photos of Kurama and Shizuru when she felt Hiei shift at her side. He crossed his arms over his chest tightly and his gaze darkened.

"Something the matter?" Botan asked, raising a brow.

"I have a feeling I will be killing the oaf before this weekend is over," he notified, giving her fair warning as if that somehow made his intentions okay.

She followed his gaze to find Kuwabara reciting a rather lengthy and romantic poem for Yukina and had to suppress a chuckle.

"At least he's being a perfect gentleman. That's got to count for something, right?"

"He's being a perfect fool," Hiei corrected. "And I don't think that counts for much."

"Well, Kuwabara's original poems aside, I'm sure that this will be a great weekend," she promised. "If you lighten up, maybe you'll even get some well-deserved rest and relaxation in."

Hiei was silent, clearly unconvinced.

"This is a good opportunity for us to make some great memories with Kai," she tried. "But he won't be completely happy unless you are too."

Hiei glanced over at their son, who was wearing Kuwabara's sunglasses and laughing at the man's dramatic antics. The sight was enough to break Hiei's murderous glare and cause him to relax somewhat.

"He's the only reason I'm here," Hiei told her.

"I know that. It was very nice of you to take an interest in his schooling and offer an incentive for him to do well," she acknowledged.

"…You don't have to do that," he said, his voice tight with an emotion that Botan couldn't identify.

"Do what?"

"Commend me for doing what any father should."

"I wasn't..." Botan started, at a loss for words. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't," he replied. "But you should know that I don't do anything halfheartedly. I have a duty to him and you can be sure that I will see it through."

"I know that Hiei," she said gently. "And I'm glad that you feel that way."

"Hn."

She smiled at him and then leaned back in her seat. The two had fallen into a comfortable air of silence, despite the music playing through the speakers and the chatter flowing from the others. She decided that it was nice being next to him like this, without a care in the world and with no tension between them. Her feelings for him didn't seem so strange in the quiet moments like this one. They certainly had been through a lot together and once she looked past Hiei's rough exterior, he had a lot of redeemable qualities.

So much had happened, but if it led them all to being together like this, then she wouldn't change a thing.

…

…

…

"Wake up."

"Just five more minutes," she groaned, snuggling into her pillow.

"Woman, get up."

She felt her pillow harden and move slightly and her eyes flew open in surprise. Pillows weren't supposed to do that.

"Get off," Hiei said gruffly.

Her eyes widened as she sat up and away from Hiei. She looked around to find herself inside of the empty bus. They had arrived at the beach house and everyone had filed out except for she and Hiei. She put two and two together and realized that she had fallen asleep on him the entire ride there.

"W-why didn't you wake me?" she exclaimed in embarrassment, following Hiei out of the van and into the sweltering heat of the summer air. She saw his shoulders set stiffly and when he failed to respond, she tried again. "Hiei?"

Hiei looked away, lips drawn into a tight line as his dark brows pinched together.

"He didn't wake you because he fell asleep, too," Shizuru filled in, flashing her phone screen at them.

They both leaned in to view the picture of the two of them fast asleep and leaning into each other. Hiei was the first to react, glaring daggers at Shizuru while Botan tried to wrap her head around the whole situation. Not only had she fallen asleep on Hiei, but there was also incriminating proof as well.

"Delete those now," he ordered.

"If your napping partner removes those stalker pictures she took of Kurama and I earlier, then maybe I'll consider getting rid of these," Shizuru negotiated firmly.

So that's what this was all about. Botan puffed her cheeks out in defiance, crossing her arms over her chest. There was absolutely no way that she was going to delete her photos.

"Well, then I'm sorry to say that we're at a stalemate, missy," she stated. "You'll have to pry my phone out of my cold, dead hands if you want to get rid of—hey!"

Hiei had decided to take matters into his own hands – literally – when he reached forward and pulled her cellphone out of the back pocket of her denim shorts. She was completely scandalized at the fact that he would even consider doing such a thing and she was just about to give him a piece of her mind, when he interrupted with a scowl.

"This is all your fault," he told her, crimson eyes piercing and accusing. "If you weren't a curious voyeur who took strange photos without people's consent and if you didn't have the habit of falling asleep on the closest surface you could find, then we wouldn't be in this position. I'm only doing what you should have agreed to do in the first place."

Hiei could play the blame game all he wanted, but there was one glaring fact that he was missing.

"Well, how do you plan on doing that when you don't even know my password, huh?" she mocked, setting her hands on her hips.

Hiei rolled his eyes as he typed in her birthdate: 0707. Botan's jaw hung open in shock as he smirked at her.

"You're too simple," he derided as his fingers moved to delete the photographic evidence of Kurama and Shizuru's obvious affections for each other.

He handed the phone back to Botan and she looked down at it helplessly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. All of her hard work had gone to waste.

"Glad we could handle this like adults," Shizuru said coolly as she upheld her end of the bargain and deleted the phone. "See you two inside."

Botan returned her phone to her back pocket with a resigned pout and watched as Shizuru entered the house. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised by the turn of events; Shizuru Kuwabara had more aces up her sleeve than a magician. Botan would just have to work harder and be more discreet when capturing more evidence of Shizuru and Kurama's budding romance.

She joined Hiei at the back of the bus, dragging her feet petulantly. The only thing left of hers was the smallest bag, meaning someone must have carried the rest of it inside. Hiei passed it to her, before grabbing his own things and making his way into the beach house. She followed him inside of the lovely two-story house and found that the girls had already claimed the two rooms on the second floor, leaving the first floor for the boys.

Botan wandered upstairs to find Kai in a room, depositing his things. There was a queen-sized bed, big enough for the two of them to rest comfortably in, along with a dresser and mirror. She spotted the rest of her bags in the far corner of the room.

"Did you lug all of that up here by yourself?"

"No," Kai said, shaking his head. "Kurama helped."

The perfect gentleman as always, she thought. It was so nice to see Shizuru finally falling for the good guy, rather than all those bad boy types she had involved herself with in the past.

"It's so hot," Kai said, fanning himself. "I can't wait to go in the water."

"I bet."

He peeled off his black t-shirt and folded it on the bed and Botan followed suit. She retrieved her turquoise cover-up and threw it over her yellow bikini.

"Oh, we can't forget the sunblock," Botan mentioned, fishing through her belongings and throwing the bottle to him.

"Thanks!" he replied as he caught it and began applying it liberally.

Botan had just finished helping Kai cover his back when Shizuru and Yukina stopped by. Yukina's hair was tied adorably into two pigtails and she wore her own white cover-up over her one piece, floral patterned swimwear. Shizuru was donned in a black bikini, a sarong tied over her waist.

"You two ready to hit the beach?" Shizuru asked coolly.

"Yeah!" Kai said, pumping a fist in the air.

Botan nodded as she retrieved two beach towels, one for herself or and one for Kai. They joined the guys downstairs and Botan was unsurprised to see that Hiei was not around. Kuwabara and Yusuke were busy wrestling amongst themselves, both matching Kai's shirtless look and donned in nothing but their swim trunks. Kurama had changed into a pair of emerald green swim shorts and a white shirt.

"Ready to go?" Kurama asked.

"Just about," Shizuru confirmed, slipping her shades on.

It was then that Hiei came from the hallway. He had opted for a sleeveless grey shirt and black swim shorts. Botan had fully expected for him to stay inside all weekend, plugging away on his laptop, but she supposed there would be no point in any of that when it was clear that Kai wanted Hiei to join in on the fun. She dragged her eyes away from his toned arms and rested her gaze ahead of her as they exited the house. It was a blistering hot afternoon, the perfect day to spend on the beach. The sand was already warm to the touch, but not uncomfortably so, and Botan decided to remove her flip-flops so that she could walk barefoot.

They were able to claim a good spot for themselves amidst the beach goers. Shizuru had taken shelter beneath an umbrella, seated on her beach towel and sipping on a martini she had procured from the tiki bar down the way. The brunette volunteered to watch their things while the rest of them went into the water. Hiei looked as though he were about to suggest he hang back as well, but when Kai looked over his shoulder at Hiei and asked, "You're coming, right?" - the man had little to no choice.

He shirked his shirt off and Botan's mouth ran dry. It wasn't the first time she had seen him shirtless, but it still affected her more than she cared to admit. She remembered the way he had purposefully taunted her back when they lived together and found her cheeks heating up. Shaking the memories out of her head, she turned around and set her sights on the ocean. Yusuke and Kuwabara were the first to cross the divide into the water, followed by Yukina and Kai. Kurama and Hiei went in after them, neither of them having any trouble with the change in temperature. Yukina seemed to appreciate the cold temperature of the ocean water, but Botan did not. She took tentative steps in slowly, trying to get her body used to the cold. When Yusuke sent a splash of water her way, she decided to just submerse herself and get it over with. She left her hair loose, and it splayed out behind her as she descended into the water and got accustomed to it.

The current wasn't that strong and the waves were high enough for Kai to have a good time without giving Botan a heart attack.

"The water feels great," she said, letting out a relieved sigh.

"It does," Yukina agreed.

"Do you think we should try to get Shizuru to join us?" she wondered aloud.

"If she wanted to come in, she would," Kurama reasoned.

"That's true," Botan said, looking back at the brunette who seemed perfectly content with her current state.

Off to the side, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kai had gotten into a splash war, wetting each other with as much salt water as they could. When Kuwabara used too much force and hit Botan, she was dragged into the fray. Moments later when a splash of water had hit an unsuspecting Yukina, Hiei had retaliated and inadvertently locked himself in their little game. Kurama and Yukina watched on in amusement, until Botan purposefully attacked Kurama and prompted him to join in. It became Kuwabara's goal to protect Yukina and Yusuke's goal to rile Kuwabara up. Botan thought it was unfair that Yusuke was using Kuwabara's weakness to his disadvantage, so she decided to help out.

When a wave of water intended for Yusuke hit Hiei directly in the face, Botan and Kai froze. She gulped and put on her best innocent face, but there was not point in doing any of that when her own flesh and blood had no problem ratting her out with a quick point of his finger point and the exclamation of, "it was her."

"Kai!" she yelled out.

He gave her a playful grin before swimming over to where Yusuke was. Now she was left to face Hiei's wrath without their adorably cute son to use as a buffer.

"N-now, no need to be angry," she tried weakly. "It was an accident."

"It didn't look that way to me."

Botan tried to distance herself from him, but it was really no use when Hiei had the added advantage of the current on his side. He had advanced upon and grabbed her effortlessly. His arm snaked around her waist and before she knew it, she was lifted off of the ground and then dunked into the water.

She came up spluttering for air and growling at Hiei. The two delved into their own private fight while war thundered on either side of them between the others. Minutes later, Botan was out of breath and she was sure that her abdominal muscles would be sore tomorrow from so much gut wrenching laughter.

Hiei's spiky hair was laying flat on his head instead of defying gravity like it usually did and the water ran down his chest in rivulets as he paused in his offensive. She couldn't stop the way her heart skipped a beat when his lips quirked upward in that devilish manner of his.

"Had enough?" Hiei asked, not out of concern but out of his endless need to taunt her.

"I'm not admitting defeat. It's not over 'til I say it's over!" she defied, hands on her hips.

Surprisingly, Hiei lost all signs of emotion from his face at that moment, his smirk dropping entirely.

"Woman," he warned.

"Scared?" she mocked, an air of confidence enveloping her. "You should be, because I-"

Unfortunately for Botan a wave came at that exact moment, slapping against her back and knocking her directly into Hiei. How he managed to remain so steady while the ocean was raging around them was a mystery to her, but she wasn't complaining as he held her firmly. If she wasn't busy trying to hold on to Hiei for dear life, she might have indulged in how nice it felt to be pressed against his warm body or how good he smelled, but this was not the time.

When the waves had subsided, she peeled herself off of him and looked around to survey the others. She let out a breath of relief when she spotted Kai on top of Kuwabara's shoulders, safe and sound. His blue hair was matted down and covering his eyes, but he was grinning as though he had just had the time of his life. Kurama, Yukina and Yusuke were all fine as well, but it was clear that none of them had expected a wave of that magnitude to come along.

The lifeguard blew his whistle, signaling for everyone to come out of the water.

"Did you see that huge wave?" Kai exclaimed as they joined him on the sand. "It was awesome! It was even taller than me and Kuwabara combined!"

Botan laughed.

"It was a doozy, that's for sure," she replied, before glancing at Kuwabara. "It's a good thing Kuwabara had you up on his shoulders."

Yukina smiled up at him and Kuwabara grinned in response, blushing lightly.

"Heh, it was nothing," he mumbled. His attention was quickly diverted when Kurama rejoined them, having just finished talking to the lifeguard.

"It appears as though the current is too rough right now. We are advised to stay out of the water until further notice," he explained.

"How about we play some volleyball then?" Yusuke suggested with a smirk.

"I'm in," Kuwabara agreed.

"Me too!" Kai said.

"What about you two?" Yusuke asked, looking at Kurama and Hiei.

"Alright," Kurama answered.

"Hiei?"

"No," he declined.

"Scared?" Yusuke tried.

"Your immature taunts won't change my mind."

"Kai?" Yusuke called in the cavalry.

"Please?" Kai began, pouting pitifully at Hiei.

"No," the black-haired man answered sternly.

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with milk chocolate on top?"

"No."

"Pretty please with cherry-flavored candy on top?"

"No."

"Dude, you like milk chocolate and cherry flavored candies?" Yusuke interjected, snorting with laughter. "Tell us some more embarrassing facts about him! Does he like bubble baths, too?"

"Hmmm… Hiei also likes-"

"I'll play," Hiei cut in, stepping between Yusuke and Kai and cutting the boy off. He gave Kai a sharp glare and Kai chuckled nervously, before pressing his lips together and keeping quiet.

Yusuke turned to the girls, brow raised.

"What about you three?"

"No thank you. Especially not when you have a tendency of hitting the ball at a hundred miles per hour," Botan said.

"Count me out," Shizuru turned down.

"Me too," Yukina declined.

Botan settled beside Shizuru and Yukina, pulling a water bottle out of the cooler and taking a drink as she watched them form teams. Kurama, Kuwabara and Kai ended up grouped together, while Yusuke and Hiei formed the opposing team. From her position beneath the shade of the umbrella, Botan had the perfect view of Hiei. She blushed as she remembered what it felt like to be in his arms. He was so warm and his arms felt so secure. She watched as his muscles rippled and tensed beneath his tanned skin as he spiked the ball, wondering how such an inexpressive man could have such an expressive body.

"Enjoying the view?" Shizuru asked knowingly.

"Uh, yes," Botan said, shifting her gaze to the blue sky as a seagull flew by. "It's a beautiful day."

"I bet."

Botan fanned her face, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. She shouldn't be ogling Hiei like that. It wasn't right. She mentally berated herself as she dug through her bag and pulled out a romance novel. For the remainder of the game, she had resolved to keep her attentions elsewhere. And for the next half an hour, she had succeeded; she didn't look over at them once.

When the boys finally rejoined them, they looked like they had all worked up a good sweat. Botan handed Kai a water bottle and then a sandwich, and watched him fondly as he took a seat beside her and ate his lunch.

"Did you have fun?" she asked.

"Mhm," he said through a mouth full of his turkey sandwich. "So much fun."

Life didn't get much better than this, she decided.

* * *

Later that night they were all inside of the beach house. The boys and Shizuru were busy playing cards. They all had excellent poker faces, except for Kuwabara who tended to wear his heart on his sleeve. He bowed out after a few rounds and moved to where Kai was. While the two of them were busy occupying themselves, Botan and Yukina wandered upstairs to Yukina and Shizuru's room. Botan took the liberty of blasting the air conditioning, more for Yukina's sake than her own, knowing how much the girl preferred the cold to the heat.

She and Yukina had a nice, relaxing time in the cool air until Botan suggested she play around with Yukina's hair. Yukina was receptive to the idea and in no time at all, Botan was busy fashioning Yukina's hair into a cute little french braid.

"I wanted to say this sooner and in person, but we haven't really had a moment to ourselves yet," Yukina started, her voice light and gentle. "Thank you for looking out for Hiei all this time."

Botan froze in her ministrations of tying Yukina's hair.

"What do you mean?"

"You looked after him when he was sick. And you stayed by his side despite everything that's happened."

"Oh that's..." She cleared her throat and then finished tying the end of Yukina's braid. "You don't have to thank me for that, dear."

Yukina turned around to meet Botan's gaze, her ruby eyes soft and kind.

"I'm glad you gave him a chance."

Botan smiled warmly in response.

"I am too."

"What's with that look?"

"Huh?" Botan turned to see Shizuru standing in the threshold of the door.

"You only get that way when you're thinking of a guy," Shizuru teased lightheartedly.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be playing cards right now?" Botan exclaimed, cheeks flushed and heart beating rapidly.

"I did and I won," Shizuru said, waving a wad of cash at them. "So let's go spend the guys' hard earned money on cheap souvenirs and drinks at the tiki bar."

Botan laughed.

"That sounds like a splendid idea."

Yukina smiled too,

"Come on," Shizuru urged. "There's way too much testosterone in this house. I think we need a break."

The three girls changed into some new outfits, before descending to the first floor. Shizuru was wearing a mid-length skirt and a plain t-shirt, while Yukina and Botan had opted for summer dresses.

"We're going out for a bit. Can we trust you all to keep the place in one piece?" Botan asked halfheartedly.

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of here," Yusuke shooed with a wave of his hand.

"Have fun my sweet," Kuwabara cooed, before looking at Shizuru and Botan as an afterthought. "You guys too."

"Thank you Kazuma," Yukina replied.

"Kurama, I trust you'll keep things in order," Shizuru checked.

"Naturally," he replied.

The made their way outside, where the dark sky was dotted with stars and bonfires could be seen across the stretch of the beach. They only had to walk a short distance to find the first stand and decided that it looked decent enough before they took their seats. Shizuru took the liberty of ordering the beach's specialty drinks and snacks for them and Botan let out a happy sigh.

"This is nice," she decided.

"I didn't realize how long it had been since we just stopped to enjoy appreciate the small moments," Yukina admitted. "Between work and everything else, life has been a little crazy."

"More than just a little," Shizuru added. "But I guess that just makes these moments all the more special."

"That's true," Botan concurred, taking a sip of her drink.

"So," Shizuru started, sharing a look with Yukina.

Botan blinked, eyeing them both as her confusion grew.

"Yes?"

"Now that we're alone, I think we should talk about the elephant in the room," she continued.

Botan's eyes widened in anticipation and she leaned forward in her seat. Was Shizuru finally going to reveal her affections for Kurama? Was Yukina finally going to let them know exactly what was going on between her and Kuwabara?

"Yes, let's," Botan said encouragingly, nodding her head and waiting for one of the girls to speak. When they remained silent, she frowned. "Well, why aren't you two saying anything?"

"That's because we're waiting for you," Yukina said calmly.

"Me?" Botan echoed.

"We're talking about your painfully obvious crush on Mr. Dark and Broody," Shizuru revealed.

Botan nearly choked, spluttering and wheezing as she tried to regain her breath.

"My crush on who?" she gasped.

"Hiei," Yukina filled in unhelpfully.

"I don't like Hiei! That's ridiculous. That's preposterous. Why, that's absolutely absurd!" she lied, laughing nervously and looking anywhere but at Shizuru or Yukina. "I mean, Hiei's just so... and I'm... we couldn't."

Yukina and Shizuru exchanged unconvinced looks and Botan sighed.

"…Um, but for argument's sake, let's say I did have a tiny crush on Hiei," she tried. "Was I being that obvious?"

"Only to those with half a brain," Shizuru replied. "Which means that Yusuke and Kazuma don't know. And neither does Hiei, because he's emotionally stunted."

Botan let out a groan, covering her face in her hands.

"For how long did you both know?"

"Around the same time you probably figured it out yourself. I picked up on it on Father's Day," Shizuru revealed.

"Your sense of observation is really shrewd."

"Comes with the perks of being a Kuwabara, I suppose," Shizuru shrugged.

"Well, out with it now. Tell me that I'm being silly and I need to get over it," Botan said despairingly.

"Why would we ever say such a cruel thing?" Yukina asked.

"Because Hiei and I are so different. Don't you think he would be better suited with, well, anyone but me?"

"That's for him to decide," Yukina replied. "But, for what it's worth, I think you two would make a good match."

Botan blushed, diverting her gaze towards the bar. She felt a little silly for thinking that Yukina and Shizuru would have anything but supportive.

"Thanks... I mean, it's just a small crush. It'll probably fade with time."

"Doesn't look that way to me," Shizuru disagreed. "You were practically ogling him all day."

"I was not!" she said hotly.

Shizuru smiled.

"And I caught him staring at you too."

"He... he was?"

"You're an attractive girl in a two-piece bikini. Of course he was," Shizuru answered encouragingly.

Hiei was always saying that she wasn't his type, but he usually did it when she was getting flustered over their proximity. Perhaps that was just his way of making her feel more comfortable. She had to admit, it felt pretty nice to hear that she was getting any attention from him at all. It had been so long since she even flirted with a man.

"How did you know that you liked him?" Yukina asked.

Botan thought back.

"Well, I think it started when he stayed with us for a while, when his apartment building was being renovated," Botan admitted. "I was seeing all of these new sides to him and before I knew it, I had developed these feelings for him that I didn't know what to do with. Then Ryu came along and I pushed my feelings aside in lieu of being there for him as a support system and a friend. And now we're here at this beautiful beach and he's walking around barely clothed and I keep gawking at him and I don't know what to do!"

"Don't overthink it," Shizuru advised, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just let things run their course."

"Shizuru's right," Yukina supported. "It might be best to take each day as it comes. And if you need to talk to anyone, you can always come to us."

"Thanks girls," Botan smiled. "It does feel good to let it out in the open."

Yukina nodded in understanding.

"But you know," Botan started, her features becoming more cat-like by the moment. "It's really not fair for you two to gang up on me when you're both extremely ambiguous about your own romantic situations!"

Shizuru averted her gaze and Yukina's mouth fell open slightly.

"So ladies, what do you say? I told you about mine, don't you think it's only just and right that you tell me about yours?" she pestered.

"There's nothing to say," Shizuru maintained, taking a sip of her drink. "Kurama and I are just friends."

"And denial isn't just a river in Egypt," Botan countered, before looking towards Yukina. "What about you, dear?"

Yukina paused, looking as though she were thinking of the right words to say before speaking.

"Kazuma is very special to me," she admitted. "I'm glad to have him in my life."

"Well thank you for that honesty. It was refreshing."

Shizuru rolled her eyes.

"Realistically, Yukina could have said that about any one of us," Shizuru pointed out. "It wasn't so much honest as it was ambiguous."

Yukina's eyes widened and Botan giggled.

"Oh, ignore her," the bluette joked. "Shizuru's just bitter because she can't be truthful about her feelings like we are."

Shizuru glared at Botan and then the three simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter. Botan wasn't even quite sure why she was laughing, but she felt good and she went with it.

"I don't know about you two, but this weekend was exactly what I needed," Botan said, wiping her eyes that had gotten teary.

"I agree," Shizuru harmonized.

"And Kai looks like he's having the time of life," Yukina noted.

"Of course he is. He really loves you all so much and it wouldn't have been the same without everyone," Botan replied.

"We feel the same," Shizuru said with a warm smile.

The girls lost track of time as they sat and chatted about anything and everything, enjoying the conversation and company. By the time they returned to the house, the place was in complete disarray and Kai, Kuwabara and Yusuke were busy shooting at each other with toy guns and bows and arrows. Kurama was reading a magazine in the corner of the room, a few toy bullets stuck in his hair and Hiei was nowhere to be found.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara shouted, running over to her as soon as he had noticed her. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, I did," she said with a smile. "It looks like you did too."

Kuwabara was busy grinning at her with that lovesick expression on his face, when Yusuke shot him right in the forehead with a toy bullet. Kai and Yusuke high-fived each other and then the three of them went right back into their game.

"Where's Hiei?" Yukina asked.

Kurama closed his magazine.

"He retired to his room for the night."

"Can't blame him," Shizuru said, before moving over to where Kurama was. "By the way, you've got something in your hair."

Botan grinned to herself as she watched Shizuru remove the stray bullets that were caught in his red locks. She turned away to give them their privacy and glanced down at her phone. It was already close to midnight, and although she did not want to be a killjoy, it was way past Kai's bedtime.

"It's time for bed, Kai," Botan announced.

"Aw, but I'm not even tired!" he protested from his position on top of the couch.

"As soon as your head hits the pillow, you will be," Botan said knowingly. "Besides, don't you want to wake up early and take a dip in the ocean while the sun rises? It'll be great."

"That does sound pretty cool," he grinned, hopping down from the couch and resting his toy gun on the table.

"Then we best be off to bed before it's time to wake up again!"

A half an hour later, they were showered, dry and clean. Botan still couldn't shake the feeling that there was sand everywhere, though. She set her alarm as Kai hopped up on the bed, settling in next to her.

"Did you have fun today, sweetie?"

"Yeah, this was the best day of my life."

"I'm glad."

He grinned at her, his eyes drooping as sleep began to overtake his little body.

"Goodnight," Botan said softly.

"Goodnight," he replied quietly as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The following morning Hiei was awakened by Kurama's calm, yet insistent voice.

"Hiei," he started. "We're all going to meet the sunrise."

"Sentimental and pointless," Hiei muttered as he rolled over on his side.

"You should join us. It'll be a good memory."

He grunted dismissively in response, completely content with skipping out on this particular activity. Ten minutes later, however, he was dismayed to feel a distinct sink in his air mattress.

"Good morning!" Kai greeted cheerfully as he hopped onto the bed, next to Hiei. "It's time to wake up."

"It's time for me to sleep," Hiei replied, voice thick with sleep as he pulled his sheet over his head. Although he had retired to his room before the others, he did not immediately go to sleep. He had been cramming in some extra work and admittedly stayed up far longer than he should have.

"Aw, come on, you're going to miss the sunrise if you don't get up soon!"

"The sunrise will be there tomorrow."

"Yeah but we won't be here tomorrow. Come on Hiei," Kai said, shaking him lightly.

"Go away," Hiei muttered.

"Please?" Kai pestered.

"No."

"But you have to come with us."

"And why is that?"

"Because it won't be the same without you!"

It was pathetic, but that was all that Hiei needed to hear to finally wake up. He sighed as he sat up on the bed, dragging his hand over his face tiredly.

"Come on, come on!" Kai ushered impatiently as Hiei got out of the bed.

The boy trailed him all the way to the bathroom, and Hiei frowned when he saw that the door was closed.

"Botan's in there," Kai said. "And I think Kuwabara's in the one upstairs."

Hiei grimaced at the thought of using the bathroom after Kuwabara, so he decided to wait until this one was free. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he listened to the signs of the others rustling around the house.

Kai made a small noise in the back of his throat and Hiei looked down at him.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"Nothing," Kai replied, tightlipped.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he demanded to know.

"It's just… your hair looks really funny," Kai said, stifling his laughter.

"Yours isn't any better off," Hiei countered, swiping a hand through his hair to return it to its normal state.

Kai shrugged his shoulders.

"Botan said that bed head was cute."

"On a child maybe."

"On you too," Kai replied.

"What?"

"She said your bedhead was kinda cute too."

Hiei paused, staggered that the woman thought about him that way. Then again, he supposed that it wasn't all that strange. She wasn't opposed to calling the others cute or handsome, so he shouldn't have been surprised that the same sort of treatment was applied to him.

"The woman thinks everything is cute," he reasoned, brushing Kai's comment off.

"Come on people, ten minutes to sunrise," Yusuke bellowed from some far away corner of the house.

The bathroom door finally opened, revealing Botan's figure. She was wearing a sheer tunic and he could clearly see the outline of her pink bikini underneath. She exited the bathroom with slow and lazy steps, eyes blinking wearily. The woman wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the word and he was surprised that she had even managed to make it to the bathroom on her own at this ungodly hour.

"Morning," she muttered through a yawn.

"Hn."

Kai then made it his mission to pester Botan, trusting that Hiei would join them when he was finished. Hiei was, unpredictably, the last one to leave the house and it was still fairly dark by the time he had reached the shore. The sky was painted in hues of purple, pink and blue as rays of sunlight began to break through. The sand was cool against his feet and the breeze was steady. It was much calmer than yesterday, and he had to admit: the tranquility was pleasant. There was hardly anyone else on the beach at this early hour and he much preferred this scene to the humdrum of madness yesterday.

Hiei had managed to locate Kai easily. With powder blue hair and purple eyes like that, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Hiei watched as Kai laughed at a joke that Yusuke told him.

When he was laughing or grinning with abandon like he was right now, he resembled the woman. When his eyes widened innocently, in curiosity, surprise or confusion - Hiei could see her, too. And when he wore that ridiculously stupid cat-face, he was her splitting image.

Most obnoxiously of all, was the strange catchphrase that the two shared. What was it?

 _Bingo._

But their similarities did not end there. They were both guilty of granting Hiei far too much forgiveness and copious amounts of kindness. They both let their curiosity get the best of them. And they both wore their emotions plainly on their faces. Hiei had seen so much of the woman displayed on the boy. It was uncanny. He would have thought that they had been together all along.

He supposed it was a good thing that they shared so many similar traits. Hiei didn't want Kai to grow up and become like him: cold and distrustful. He had seen slivers of himself in the child - the good and the bad - but with Botan's influence and his support, Kai would never have to grow up feeling unloved, inadequate and abandoned.

Kai finally spotted him, waving a hand for Hiei to join them. He shuffled his beach slippers off and joined them in the water. He had never been one for the beach or any sort of vacation activity, but he supposed that he could make this one exception for Kai.

Hours later, when the sun was high in the sky and the beach had become considerably more crowded, Hiei took a break from his work to check in on the status of the others. Music was blasting from a party off in the distance and the general area had become much more lively as games, conversations, shouts and laughter rang in the air. He did not have to walk far until he found the others. Kai and Yukina were collecting seashells near the shore while Yusuke was busy hitting on a group of women, who, for some strange reason, had decided to humor him. Kuwabara was buying ice cream for everyone down the way and Kurama and Shizuru at one of the stands in the distance, taking amiably. Hiei's eyes settled on the woman, seated underneath an umbrella and applying another coat of sunblock.

Two men had been eying her from the side and she was completely oblivious to their stares as she struggled to reach her back. The sight was beginning to irritate Hiei. It had nothing to do with the beefed up idiots who had been eyeing her for the past minute. Not at all. Hiei simply did not appreciate the ridiculous way she looked as she tried and failed to put her own sunblock on. One of the guys in question strolled over to her, clearly flexing his muscles in an attempt to seem more appealing.

"Do you need help?" he asked, smiling down at her from underneath the visor of his cap.

Botan looked up at the man and flashed him an apologetic smile.

"Oh, no, that's quite alright."

"You sure? I'm always ready to help a lady in need," he tried.

"That's very kind of you, but–"

"But she doesn't need any help from you," Hiei finished, standing at her side.

The guy put his hands up in a friendly manner.

"No harm in askin', right?" he said.

Hiei's hard gaze did not waver and the man took it as his cue to leave. Botan stood up from her beach chair to give Hiei a grateful smile.

"Thanks Hiei," she said. "That was the third guy that offered to help. I wonder why they keep coming!"

Hiei rolled his eyes, already regretting what he was about to do.

"Turn around."

"Huh?"

Hiei took the lotion out of her hands and motioned for her to turn around.

"Oh no, that's alright. You don't have to-" she tried to decline.

"Don't be such a prude woman. I already told you, you aren't my type and you're causing a scene."

"I am not a prude!" she started angrily, crossing her arms under her chest in a way that caused Hiei's eyes to linger there for far too long. "And you keep saying that I'm not your type, but that doesn't stop you from staring at my chest!"

Hiei's gaze snapped up to meet her eyes.

"You're the one wearing a flimsy piece of material that can barely pass as clothing," he retorted, eyes narrowing defensively.

"Flimsy?" she echoed.

"Hn."

"I'll have you know that this is a very tasteful outfit!" she said, motioning down to her pink two-piece bikini.

"Could have fooled me, woman."

"Well, what about you, then?" she started. "Walking around without a shirt with those sinfully low shorts. Honestly, Hiei, you're the one who needs to learn a little decency."

"You," he growled out, stopping when he realized how close they had gotten. Botan was breathing heavily, chest heaving and his eyes fell to her lips. There was something magnetic between them and he didn't know if it was the sun messing with his brain, or the fire in her eyes, but for the first time since they had met he had allowed himself to acknowledge the fact that she was pleasing to the eye.

The thought was enough to shock him out of whatever strange mood he had been in, his skin prickling as though he had been doused in ice water. He took a step back to distance himself and frowned.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled, pushing the sunblock back into her hands. "Suit yourself, woman. Continue to struggle if you want."

"I will!"

Kai came between them, oblivious to the electric tension sparking between them.

"Hey, I found these for you guys," he announced.

Hiei looked down at the boy and was promptly presented with a black scallop shell. Hiei turned it over in his hand. There was nothing special about a silly little shell, but he pocketed it nonetheless.

"And this one is for you," he told Botan as he handed her a pink cone shell.

"Thanks Kai. I'll keep it forever," Botan grinned, losing her anger as she ruffled his hair.

He seemed satisfied with her response and then turned to regard Yukina.

"Come on, Yukina, let's go find some more," he suggested, before running off in the opposite direction.

"Alright," Yukina agreed, smiling at Hiei and Botan before she trailed after Kai.

Hiei was left alone with the woman again and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted a repeat of what had just occurred. It was too much for him to process right now, so he cleared his throat.

"I'm going back," he announced.

She nodded wordlessly and he could feel her eyes on him as he walked away. That was certainly strange, but he supposed there was no point in worrying over it. He was a red-blooded man and she was clad in clothes that barely covered her. It would have been stranger if he hadn't had those thoughts.

* * *

When Hiei had come out of the shower, he found Kuwabara busy waxing silly poetry to Yukina in the living room. Shizuru was lounging out on the couch, reading a book and Kurama was nowhere to be found. Over in the kitchen, Yusuke was currently cooking lunch while Botan pestered him about his secret ingredients.

He pulled a beer from the fridge and was going to return to his work, when Kai suddenly appeared at his side.

"You wanna play memory?" he asked, a deck of cards in his hands.

Hiei was normally averse to games intended for children, but he hadn't had much one on one time with the boy, so he agreed.

"Fine," he nodded. "Just don't complain when you lose."

"Hn, we'll see who's crying later," Kai taunted back.

The two took a seat in the open floor of the living room and Hiei watched as Kai unskillfully shuffled the cards and then laid them out. He did not simply pick and choose cards at random; he always paused to consider his options carefully, a determined look on his face the entire time. Hiei was secretly impressed with his focus and concentration.

"Told ya I'd win," Kai said, lips pulled into a teasing grin.

"Hn, it was a matter of chance and luck, not skill."

"Let's play spit then."

"Spit?" Hiei echoed, features twisting into a grimace.

"It's a speed game. Here, I'll show you the rules, it's really easy."

They got to playing the fast paced game, which did require more skill and effort than matching the cards together. Hiei won the first round, prompting Kai to shoehorn him into a second. Which turned into a third and fourth and fifth round.

"You're really fast," he said in astonishment. "I couldn't even keep up."

"It's nothing."

"It's something," Kai insisted. "And you shuffle like a pro, too."

"It's not difficult," Hiei said, noting the eager way Kai's eyes followed his hand movements. "I'll show you how."

Kai scooted closer towards Hiei, watching as he performed the riffle shuffle. His eyes monitored Hiei's actions intently, in a state of complete amazement. The boy's absolute and unrelenting wonder over Hiei's abilities never failed to stun him. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it was new. He supposed he would just have to get used to it.

The two stayed that way for a while, with Hiei instructing Kai's technique and teaching him various shuffling methods. The boy was a pretty quick learner and with time and practice, he would get better. His hands were a little small considering the size of the playing cards, but he had done well enough regardless.

* * *

When night fell, everyone had decided that it was time to start packing up to leave. Hiei had finished packing a while ago and brought his bags near the front entrance. He had gotten glimpses of everyone except for Botan and he realized that he hadn't seen much of her since lunchtime. They hadn't exchanged a single word since their confrontation n the beach and he wondered if she was upset with him. He frowned and immediately squelched that thought. If the woman was that sensitive, then that was her problem and not his.

He stepped outside to get some fresh air and was was surprised to see Botan in a secluded area near the shore. She was seated on the sand, staring out at the ocean with a pensive and calm expression. The breeze rustled her bangs but the rest of her hair was braided and resting over one shoulder. It was the most tranquil sight he had seen all weekend and he was honestly surprised that she was at the center of it. She had been the source of his bewilderment and confusion all day and seeing this side of her was just another point added to the tally. Before he realized it, he had wandered over to her side.

"Do you ever wonder about all the years we lost with Kai?" Botan asked, eyes on the ocean as she spoke. "It scares me to think that we could have both gone our entire lives without ever knowing him."

Hiei wasn't expecting for her to ask a question as heavy as that. Truth be told, he had thought about it. But that sort of thinking was pointless.

"There's no use in humoring what if's," Hiei stated evenly, following her gaze to watch the waves crash and subside. "We have him now. That is what matters."

"You're right," she decided with a nod.

He glanced at her for a moment.

"You're uncharacteristically introspective tonight."

"I was just… reflecting on things," she explained, swirling her finger in the sand absentmindedly before bring her gaze up to meet his. "I saw you with him earlier and it made me think. We really came a long way, huh?"

They did. He couldn't stand her at the start, she continually sat just beyond his understanding and she was his opposite in every sense of the word. He disagreed with her on many levels and often thought of her as emotional and senseless, but she had proved him wrong over time. She was the mother of his child and she had done a good job with him so far.

"I didn't think you were capable of raising another human life, but perhaps I underestimated you," he confessed.

"And I didn't think that you would ever warm up to Kai, but you're been such a great father to him."

She was smiling at him in that manner that made him feel uncomfortable. All it took was a slight upward tilt of the lips and that soft look in her eyes to unnerve him. It was almost as if she were looking right through him, past his walls, past his guarded defenses to the very heart of him. Even worse, she smiled as though she had honestly and truly liked what she'd seen.

He held her gaze for a while, neither of them saying anything before a firework shot off in the distance and diverted their attentions. He refocused his sights on the ocean, watching the way the moonlight reflected on the surface of the water, but did not move to distance himself from her. He was not entirely sure if he wanted this tranquility and solitude between them to end.

Unbeknownst to them, their son was watching from the background with a contended smile on his face and an idea brewing in his clever little mind.

* * *

It's always so such a pleasure to read you guys' reviews and see what you thought. I feel like I know a bunch of you based on the way you review/what you say, so it's always a treat to see familiar people commenting on the chapters. I appreciate all of the support and the positive feedback. Hope you all enjoyed this fluffy, fun-filled chapter.

Til next time!


	13. Chapter 13

Kai stared up at Amanuma's bedroom ceiling with a contented smile on his face. He was supposed to be asleep a long time ago, but he was still buzzing with excitement from the day of fun that they had.

"Hey," Kai said, turning to face Amanuma in the dark, who was snuggled underneath his superman sheets.

Amanuma cracked an eye open.

"Yeah?"

"It must be nice having both parents around all the time," Kai mentioned.

"I guess," Amanuma replied with an absent shrug. "I never thought about it before."

"I want it," he said quietly; so lowly that Amanuma had to shuffle closer to hear him again.

"Huh?"

"I want my parents to be together, too," Kai admitted. "Like yours are."

Even in the darkness, he could see Amanuma frowning.

"How are you going to go do that?" the boy asked curiously. "Hana's parents are divorced and she says they still fight all the time."

"Mine weren't ever really together… it's a long story," Kai dismissed. "But I think they're getting closer."

He had noticed the way that Hiei and Botan's relationship slowly but surely turned into friendship. Somehow, the two always ended up together and the fighting had all but ceased. When he saw them alone that night on the beach, he couldn't help but think that they should be with each other. Neither of them was dating anyone else, so why shouldn't they? Maybe he was crazy, maybe he was hoping for too much, but he really wanted them to be family in the same way that Amanuma's was.

He looked over to gage his friend's reaction and was happy to see that there was a shred of hope in the boy's blue eyes.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Amanuma asked.

"I dunno," Kai answered sullenly.

"You're the smartest person I know… if anyone can do it, it's you," he encouraged.

Kai grinned proudly.

"Thanks Ama."

* * *

Botan swirled her umbrella around her turquoise colored drink as she took in the sights and sounds of the bar. The air condition was blasting, affording them a brief respite from the summer heat and the usual crowd was back for the night. The lights were dimmed and a hum of conversation filled the space. It almost felt like dejavu and she realized that a scene similar to this one must have played out before, months ago before she met Kai. A soft smile painted her lips as she thought of all of the good that had come with that one small boy. She was sure that he was having a blast at Amanuma's and as she checked the time on her phone, she was almost positive that he was still struggling to stay awake although it was way past his bedtime.

Shaking her head and releasing those thoughts, she brought her attentions back to the table. Everyone was here except for Yukina, who had already mentioned that she would be running a little late.

"So, how is business going for you, Yusuke?" she asked conversationally, eyes flitting across the table to meet his gaze.

"Pretty good. The customers can't get enough," Yusuke boasted, before quirking a thumb in Hiei's direction. "This one, especially."

Botan's brows rose in surprise as she looked over at Hiei, who was seated next to her. She had to admit that even after a long and tiring day of work, he still managed to look as handsome as ever in her eyes. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up to reveal his forearms and he had loosened his tie in an effort to make himself more comfortable. He had a relaxed air about him that only ever came about after the day's events had bit away at his guard and armor.

"I didn't know that you were a fan of the Great Urameshi," Botan joked.

Kuwabara grimaced at Yusuke's self-proclaimed title and Kurama chuckled lightly.

"Fan is a gratuitous overstatement," Hiei countered coolly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aw, he says that, but that doesn't stop him from showing up every day like a groupie," Yusuke teased, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Don't confuse it," Hiei started. "It's a matter of convenience; not preference. Your cart is the closest option near Enma Corp."

"Oh, that's right," Botan interrupted, clapping her hands together. "I know that you're a big exec for a prestigious company, but I keep forgetting that the prestigious company just so happens to be _Enma Corp_. It really is a small world."

When she thought of all of the connections between them, it was a little dizzying. It was a little surprising that she had never met Hiei until this year, but she supposed that things worked out the way they were supposed to. She doubted that they would have had much reason to be friends and get along if it weren't for Kai.

Hiei grunted noncommittally, taking a sip of his whiskey without saying a word.

"And speaking of the Enma's, can you believe that Koenma's wedding is in a few weeks?" Botan asked, eyes gleaming as she thought of the upcoming occasion.

"It will be a rather impressive event," Kurama noted from across the table. "The son of Enma marrying the daughter of a wealthy mogul can only mean a strengthening of the two corporations."

"Yes, but it's more than that to Koenma. He's always had the cutest little crush on Ayame and I'm glad that those two found their way to each other," Botan replied with a dreamy sigh.

"Sounds like it all worked out for the best then," Shizuru piped in.

Kuwabara grinned, cheeks flushed from the three drinks he had already consumed.

"The power of true love always wins out," he stated surely.

"Cheers to that!" Botan agreed. She reached an arm across the table to share a toast with him, not missing the way that Hiei scoffed as her glass clinked against his. Her brows rose challengingly as she turned her attentions towards the dark-haired man. "Is something the matter, Hiei?"

Crimson eyes met hers, lacking their usual coldness. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when the change had occurred, but he had stopped giving her those disdained looks a long time ago. Whenever their gazes met, she felt as though he was a little less guarded each time.

"Clearly there is something wrong with the both of you," Hiei accused. "The way you two over romanticize every little thing should be a cause for concern."

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with a healthy interest in love or romance," she defended with a pout.

"And I suppose you believe in silly constructs like soulmates and love at first sight, too," he ridiculed, his tone indicating that he already knew the answer.

"Bingo, right on the prize as always, Hiei," she admitted with pride. "Just because it's never happened to a grumpy fellow like you, doesn't mean that it never will. I'm sure you'll experience it one day and it will be better than words can describe."

"Tell me something, woman, have you even experienced those things for yourself to know that it is real, or do you simply live vicariously through what you see on the television and through others?"

Botan's smile faltered for a moment and her gaze fell in embarrassment. If she was being honest with herself, the closest thing she had ever had to a genuine, romantic love was probably what she felt for Hiei. All of her past romantic endeavors had been prompt and short-lived, but with Hiei it was different. They had somehow gone from enemies, to reluctant partners, to friends to family. And now she cared for him in a different vein and she was not ready to admit just how much she cared to anyone yet. Not even to herself. She cleared her throat and looked back at Hiei determinedly.

"Well, no, not yet," she answered. "But I'm sure that I will one day."

"That sort of optimism will only disappoint you in the end," he warned.

"That almost makes it sound as though you care," Botan noted quietly.

Hiei pressed his lips together in a tight line, but he refrained from answering. She decided to take that as a positive response and tried not to get too excited over the fact that he might hold a modicum of interest in her well-being.

"What makes you such an authority on love anyway, shorty?" Kuwabara cut in, eyes narrowed slightly and features tight, the way they always did when he and Hiei were at odds.

Hiei turned his attentions to Kuwabara, posture tense and eyes hard.

"I'm no authority on love or romance, but I do know about the real world. There are no such things as soulmates or red strings of fate. The sooner you grow up and realize that, the easier it will be to accept simple truths such as the glaring one that Yukina is not interested in a fool like you."

"You only say that because you're lonely and jaded," Kuwabara huffed.

"I say it because it's true," he shot back evenly.

"Don't listen to him, Kuwabara, only Yukina knows her heart," Botan encouraged him. "And I think it's definitely set on you."

Hiei opened his mouth to counter that claim, but Yusuke interrupted.

"I'd give up on this one, Hiei," Yusuke cut in, exchanging a knowing and exasperated look with Shizuru. "You can't convince these two that there isn't anything more magical and whimsical on this earth than the power of love."

Hiei rolled his eyes in the same moment that Botan fixed him with one of her playful, cat-like expressions. The black-haired man looked away agitatedly, resting his head in the palm of his hand as he turned away and Kurama let out a mirthful sound at the exchange.

"You've been awfully quiet," Botan pointed out, setting her sights on Kurama with a frown. "Don't tell me that even you agree with what Hiei says?"

Kurama paused to consider her question, before bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"My beliefs lie in the middle of both viewpoints. I have yet to experience love in order to truly test that theory out," he admitted. There was a secretive glint encased in those emerald eyes as he continued. "I suppose I haven't found the right woman yet."

Botan nodded in understanding, her mind already settled on the idea of who that 'right woman' happened to be.

"Fair enough," she responded, before tilting her head towards her favorite brunette. "And you missy? What are your thoughts on love and romance?"

Shizuru's expression dropped from mild amusement to immediate disinterest, but Botan was not going to give in. She was ready to continue to hound Shizuru further, when Kurama came in with an assist.

"In all the time I've known you, I don't believe I've ever heard of your thoughts on the subject," Kurama added curiously.

"That's because I'm not as emotional as my baby bro," Shizuru answered evenly, flicking some of her hair over her shoulder as she spoke. "But in the spirit of sharing: I've never been in love. I've only been involved with one bad decision after another."

"Perhaps you just haven't been looking in the right place," Kurama suggested.

"Maybe," Shizuru agreed, holding his gaze for a moment to long before she broke it to take a sip of her drink.

Botan bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as she watched the exchange between the two. It was so obvious that they liked each other. She had no idea why they both decided to skirt around the issue. She saw Hiei turn his head towards the front entrance and she spotted a flash of mint green as Yukina approached their table.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara gushed excitedly.

"You're right on time!" Botan grinned. "What are your thoughts on love?"

Yukina smiled the way always she did when she came right in the middle of a deep discussion and paused to consider Botan's question.

"I think life is unpredictable and strange. Sometimes things happen that we can't explain; sometimes they're for the better and sometimes they're for the worst, but the thing that makes life worth living is love. Whether it's familial, platonic or romantic, I think it's the most beautiful thing in life."

"Wow, that was profound!" Botan said, clearly impressed.

"They were just my honest thoughts," Yukina explained as Kuwabara beamed at her.

As the docile woman settled in beside Kuwabara, the conversations deviated into their own separate ones. But Botan could not get what Yukina had said out of her head. It was really beautiful and she believed it as well. She turned to Hiei, who seemed to be content with ignoring everyone, and tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Still think love is a waste of time? Even after hearing what your dear sister said?" she asked quietly.

"Love isn't for everyone, woman," Hiei maintained stiffly and, if Botan didn't know any better, almost self deprecatingly.

Her brows creased as she frowned at him. Hiei wasn't the self-deprecating sort. He was confident and arrogant and certain of himself, but the way that he dismissed the idea of love made her heart ache. It was as though he specifically believed that it wasn't for _him_.

"Yes it is," she insisted. "Even for a skeptical man like you."

Hiei let out a bitter and humorless laugh, eyes focused on the amber liquid floating in his glass rather than on her.

"You hardly even know me," he muttered.

"Of course I do," Botan countered with an unwavering confidence.

He looked over at her silently, wordlessly, and in the same searching manner that Kai often did.

"If you ask me, there's hope for you, yet," she finished with a gentle smile.

Hiei's expression suddenly took on the same manner that it did during their last night at the beach. It made her heart flutter and she wasn't sure if he was aware of it, but his eyes became more open and the tightness of his features softened considerably. There was a careful and studying look in his crimson eyes, but the moment ended when he looked away with a grunt. Botan's gaze lingered on him for a second longer, the look in her eyes turning wistful.

She knew that Hiei was guarded and she knew that her chances with him were slim to none, but she hoped that he wouldn't be so stubborn as to close himself off from love – even if it wasn't with her.

* * *

As much fun as it was being at Amanuma's house, Kai was happy to be home. It was comforting to have a place to return to that was all his. The apartment smelled like coffee and something sweet and he found Botan typing away at her laptop with a plate of French toast at her side.

He watched her for a moment with a fond smile. Her hair was tied into a lopsided ponytail and her candy-colored eyes were focused on the laptop as she typed away. She was so engrossed in her column that she didn't even realize that he had returned.

"I'm back," he announced with a grin, dropping his bag to the floor.

Botan stopped typing and pushed her glasses up so that they rested at the crown of her head.

"Welcome home," she greeted warmly, opening her arms so that he could give her a quick embrace. He grinned and quickly gave her a tight hug. Botan always gave the best hugs. "So, how was your time at Amanuma's place? Did you boys have fun?"

"Yeah," Kai answered, taking a seat across from her. "We went to the park and we played a lot of games."

"I knew that you would have a blast!" she exclaimed brightly.

"What did you do?" Kai questioned, curiosity swimming in his purple eyes.

"Well, nothing out of the ordinary. I met up with the gang last night and then did a little cleaning this morning," she answered nonchalantly.

"Was Hiei there too?" he asked. He tried to sound as innocent and casual as possible, even though his questions had a motive.

"Yes, even he decided to grace us with his presence," she answered amusedly.

"Did you have fun?"

Botan nodded.

"It's always a good time with everyone around."

"With Hiei, too?"

"Yes, with Hiei too," she replied with a light chuckle.

Botan went back to typing away at her laptop and Kai tried to think of ways he could keep Hiei in the conversation. Amanuma had told him that it was important to make sure that his parents saw the best in each other. He said that he had heard it from some television show that his mom was watching all the time and Kai decided that it sounded like a good idea. Kai already thought that his parents were the greatest people in the world, so it was easy for him to talk them up.

"Did you know that since Hiei joined Enma Corp. profits have gone up substantially?" he recited, index finger poised informatively as he spoke. "Isn't that amazing?"

Botan lowered the top of her laptop to raise a brow at Kai.

"Did Hiei tell you that himself?"

"No," Kai said with a shake of his head. "Haru did."

"Haru sure is a swell guy."

"So is Hiei," Kai insisted. "He kept everything I ever gave him and he wears the ties I bought him, too."

Botan smiled warmly.

"Of course he would, he's your father and he loves you."

"He likes you too," Kai insisted.

Botan froze, mouth slightly ajar as she stared back at him.

"What?"

"Well, he seems to have fun when you're around, right?" Kai reasoned.

"…Hiei and fun don't exactly go hand in hand, but I suppose the two of us do have a good time together regardless."

"So, you like him, too, right?"

Botan's face turned red.

"Don't you?" Kai probed.

"O-of course I do," she stammered. "He's a good friend."

"Do you like him the most?" he questioned.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, more than anyone else?"

"Um, well, I suppose it wouldn't be fair to pick favorites, since I like everyone in different ways…" she replied unsurely.

"Oh," Kai said, sounding less than thrilled.

"But Hiei's a great person and I'm glad that he's your father," she continued with more conviction this time. "I don't think I could have done this without him."

Kai seemed to be satisfied with that, nodding along contently. It was always easy to tell when Botan was lying about something and it was clear that she meant everything she had said. It was a good start, at least. He just wasn't sure exactly _how_ Botan liked Hiei. Sure, she called him her friend, but she also got all high-pitched and flustered when she said it. She kind of seemed like Kuwabara when he was around Yukina, but to a much lesser degree.

"Now, what's with the sudden interrogation?" Botan asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Your endless stream of questions?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering."

Botan's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Kai put on his best innocent upturn of his lips. He couldn't lie to her, not really, so he hoped that his supposed 'cuteness' would be enough to distract her. He extended his smile into a grin, flashing his teeth for good measure until Botan finally relented with a shake of her head.

"Alright, if you say so…"

Kai let out a quick sigh of relief as she went back to working on her column. It sure was hard work trying to get his parents together. For the remainder of the week, he was pretty much unsuccessful. Every time he had tried to invite Hiei over to Botan's or Botan's over to Hiei's, it never worked out. He had never attempted something like this before and he was out of his element. He didn't know the first thing about romance.

The next week started off normal enough. He was at the grocery store with Botan on a regular run-of-the-mill Tuesday morning, restocking their supply of household necessities and foods. Botan had been in an extremely good mood after hearing positive feedback from her editor and Kai was hoping that he could invite Hiei over to top off the day. He figured he would ask her once they reached home, but his plans came to a screeching halt at the appearance of a blue-haired stranger.

Botan was currently on her tiptoes, stretching to reach Kai's favorite cereal on the top shelf. It was one of those weird off-brand ones that Yusuke teased him about all the time, but Kai didn't care. He was used to eating it back at the orphanage and he really liked it. But Botan was struggling and it wasn't worth it if she hurt herself trying to get it. He was just about to tell her to forget it, when a man approached them.

"Let me help you with that," he offered.

Botan didn't even have time to spin around to face him before the stranger stepped behind her, reached over her and grabbed the cereal box. Kai's brows furrowed, instantly getting a bad vibe off of this guy when he realized just how close he was to his mother.

"Here you go, Botan," he said as she turned to face him.

"Shishiwakamaru," she replied breathlessly.

"The one and only," he replied. His lips extended into a half smile and Botan's face turned red, the same shade it did when she was talking about Hiei. Kai's eyes narrowed in annoyance as she and this Shishiwakamaru character stared at each other wordlessly, suspended in a moment that he couldn't quite breach. The blue-haired man snapped out of it first, shaking the box and bringing it to her attention.

"Oh, right, thank you," Botan started with a sheepish grin, reaching out to procure the cereal box.

"Yeah thanks," Kai said gruffly, grabbing the item out of his hand before he could give it to Botan and plopping it into the cart.

"It's really good to see you again," he greeted.

Botan smiled shyly.

"Yes, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

Shishiwakamaru's mauve eyes lingered on Botan for far too long and Kai was starting to get tired of being ignored. He let out a pointed cough and Botan finally remembered that he was around. Shishiwakamaru seemed to take notice of him, too, the older man's face taking on a look of surprise as he acknowledged the boy.

"Is this your little brother?" he questioned.

"Actually, he's my son," Botan revealed with a brilliant smile. She turned to Kai and motioned towards Shishiwakamaru. "Kai, this is an old acquaintance from college, Shishiwakamaru."

"Please, call me Shishi," he said, although Kai couldn't help the feeling that his sincerity wasn't genuine. "Nice to meet you, kid."

Kai grunted in response and Shishi recovered quickly.

"He looks like you," he told Botan.

"That's a first. Almost everyone says that he most closely resembles his father," Botan mentioned.

"And is his father still in the picture?" Shishi fished.

"Yes, but we aren't together," Botan clarified. "It's a long and complicated story actually. I'm sure I'll only end up boring you with the details…"

Shishi appeared to be satisfied with that particular bit of information, a pleased glint lighting up his purple eyes.

"I wouldn't mind hearing it," he insisted as he handed her a small business card. "If you're interested, give me a call."

He smirked at Botan one last time before disappearing down the aisle. Kai frowned at the entire exchange, not liking the way that Botan's eyes were following after him as he walked away.

"I don't like him," he voiced.

"You don't even know him," Botan pointed out.

"Do you?" Kai countered.

"Well, we had a few conversations back in college," she recalled.

"He seemed like a creep to me," Kai huffed.

"Oh stop it," she admonished lightly, before pushing the cart forwards and refusing to talk any further about Shishiwakamaru. Although the conversation had ended, Kai had a feeling that this wasn't over by a long shot.

It wasn't until a few days later that the Shishi problem reared its ugly head. Kai had seen Botan looking down at his contact card more often than not and he knew that she was considering calling him.

He wanted Botan to be happy, he really did, but not with that creep. In fact, he had a much better option in mind. Someone who was close to both of them, someone who Kai knew would take good care of Botan. But until he figured out how to get them together, he was stuck.

He went to his room and dialed up a number on the landline.

"Kuwabara?"

" _Hey Kai! Is everything okay?"_

"Yeah, it's fine. Can I ask you something?"

" _You can ask me anything little buddy."_

"Um, so… how do two people fall in love?"

"… _Is there a special little lady in your class?"_

"Ew, no!" Kai exclaimed, face scrunched up in disgust. "I was just curious."

" _Aw, come on, you can tell me if there is!"_ Kuwabara cooed

"There isn't."

" _Really?"_

"Really!" Kai insisted. "…But what if my friend likes a girl? What can I do to make sure everything works out?"

" _Well, I would tell your 'friend' to just be himself."_

"Right… and…?"

" _That's really all there is to it. He should be honest and open and respectful."_

"That's all you got?"

" _You can't rush or force love. It takes time and patience, like one of Kurama's really complicated plants."_

"Huh?"

" _It's like this: if you don't give it enough sunlight or water, then it withers away, but if you give it too much, then it'll die. Love is the same way."_

"You lost me…"

" _Heh, maybe I got too philosophical there. Anyway, as the warrior of love, it's my duty to steer you down the right path and I have every intention of helping you get your girl-"_

"Not me, it's my friend, remember?" Kai reminded him exasperatedly.

" _Right… your 'friend'."_

"I'm serious!"

" _I hear you, I hear you. So, like I was saying, you should let things happen naturally. Don't force it or rush into things, but don't hang back and confuse everyone by being too distant. Your 'friend' should try and spend some time with this girl and see where it leads. If it's meant to be, then things will fall into place when the time is right."_

"…Okay, I think I get it. So they should hangout first… be themselves… and if it's meant to be, then everything will work out?"

"… _More or less."_

"Thanks Kuwabara!"

" _Anytime Kai."_

* * *

Botan eyed Shishiwakamaru's card for what had to be the hundredth time that week. She had the hugest crush on him back in college, but things were different now; she had a son and there was the whole issue of Hiei to consider, too. But still, every now and then her mind would fade back to a handsome face, long blue hair and alluring purple eyes. He seemed to be interested in her in a way that Hiei had never really shown her and she found herself wondering what it would be like to indulge on one date.

"You're a single woman," Shizuru encouraged, leaning back into the couch casually. "There's no reason not to see where this could lead."

"But what about…" Botan paused to lower her voice. "You know, my situation with Hiei?"

"There's no harm in one date. You're obviously interested," Shizuru pointed out.

"Maybe… just a little curious. But it's been so long since I've even been on a date. I wouldn't know the first thing to do."

"Just be yourself."

"A talkative, clumsy ditz?"

"A caring, fun-loving, wonderful person," Shizuru said, before smiling teasingly. "Save your true colors for the third or fourth date."

Botan laughed. "If he's willing to stick around that long."

"You shouldn't count yourself out. You're a catch."

"You have to say that as my friend."

"That's true. But Shishi wouldn't have given you his number unless he thoughts otherwise."

"I suppose so."

"The choice is yours to make, but a girl's got to have her options. Maybe it'd do you well to see other people."

"You're absolutely right. Maybe I will call him up."

"That a girl."

"There's no harm in it, right?"

"None at all."

"Alright, I'm going to do it."

And that's how she found herself getting ready for her first date in years. She didn't know what to wear or how to act or what to do, but she was actually becoming pretty excited over it. Shishiwakamaru said that he would take her out to dinner, someplace nice, so she was browsing through her closet. When the doorbell rang, she grimaced. She hoped that it wasn't him already.

Botan answered the door, surprised to find Hiei standing in the hallway. Her heart froze in her chest at the sight of him and she was suddenly torn between feeling excited over her upcoming date and guilty that she had a date to begin with. She shook those thoughts out of her head and stepped aside.

"Come in," she said as she granted him entrance.

"Where's Kai?" Hiei asked, stepping into the apartment and looking around for the boy.

"Um, he's…"

Soon enough, Kai scurried out of his room. He looked like he was up to no good with that cat-like grin on his face and Botan could already feel that she wouldn't like what he was about to say.

"You said it was urgent. What's the matter?" Hiei inquired, looking down at him seriously.

"Botan's going on a date," Kai started to explain.

"Kai!" she shrieked.

Hiei looked over at her before turning back to Kai.

"I fail to see your point."

"With a stranger," he continued imperatively.

"He is not a stranger, he's an old acquaintance from college," Botan explained.

"I don't care about any of that," Hiei said with a frown as he directed his next words at Kai. "I want to know why you made it seem as though something was wrong."

"Because this is all wrong," Kai insisted, hands balled into fists and shoulders raised and tense.

"She can do whatever she pleases with whomever she pleases," Hiei said sternly.

"Yes, Kai, I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I please," she reiterated, throwing her hands on her hips. "What were you thinking, calling Hiei like that?"

Kai stared back at her stubbornly.

"I was thinking that you needed a buddy."

"What?"

"You know, like when we go on field trips at school and stuff? Someone to stay by your side and make sure that you don't get into any trouble."

Botan's heart melted at his concern as she gave him a sympathetic look.

"Kai, there is nothing for you to be worried over. I'm simply going out to dinner with a perfectly decent man," she told him.

"How do you know that he's decent?" Kai challenged.

"I…" she was at a loss for words. "I just do. Besides, we will be in a completely public place. Your concern is heartwarming, really, it is, but I promise you that everything will be okay."

"Hn," Kai grunted.

Botan turned to Hiei.

"I'm sorry he called you over for nothing. I didn't know."

Hiei shook his head dismissively.

"It's not your fault," he said, throwing a pointed glare in Kai's direction.

Kai looked away, pretending to be very interested in a spot on the opposite wall.

"What is he going to be doing while you're on your date?" Hiei asked.

"The others were all busy except for Kuwabara. He said he would be happy to watch him for a few hours."

"I'll take him," Hiei said instead.

"What?"

"I don't want Kuwabara's stupidity rubbing off on him," he clarified.

"Kuwabara isn't stupid!" Kai defended.

"You only think that because you're still young and naive," Hiei retorted.

Kai let out a huff of air, but did not say anything further.

"I suppose I'll call Kuwabara and let him know that he doesn't have to come over anymore," Botan mentioned. "He was just going to hang around the apartment. Feel free to do the same, if you want."

"Fine."

"Oh, and I made dinner, you'll just have to reheat it."

Hiei nodded wordlessly.

"Well, I suppose I should finish getting ready now…"

Botan's eyes lingered on Hiei's fleetingly. If he told her not to go, she would have gladly stayed. That's how badly she had it for him. But as he stared back at her, crimson eyes devoid of any particular emotion, she realized that he did not care in the same way that she did. It was foolish to believe that one day he might, and she owed it to herself to see just where this thing with Shishi could go.

She forced a grin on her face and retreated to her room, heart feeling heavier than it should have.

* * *

Hiei watched Botan disappear behind her room door, suddenly feeling more conflicted than he should have. Perhaps he should have told her that he didn't like the idea of her dating some stranger that Kai felt such strong dislike for. Perhaps he should have told her that it bothered him that she was dating at all, but he kept it to himself because that was a dangerous thread of thinking.

And besides, he didn't have any right to tell her who she could and couldn't date.

"Don't let her go out with that guy," Kai urged from beside him.

"I don't care about what she does," Hiei replied, pushing aside the dark and conflicting feelings.

"Why not?"

"Because it does not affect me," Hiei replied, tightlipped.

"But it affects me," Kai retorted. "And I really don't like him."

"You hardly know him," Hiei noted.

"Botan said the same thing too," Kai recalled, cheeks puffed out in annoyance.

"She was right," Hiei said flatly. "It's safe to assume that she will date more men that you don't like or approve of in the future, so you might as well make peace with it now."

Although Hiei appeared to be unaffected on the outside, his own words were a bitter pill that he could not seem to swallow. The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit and tried to push it aside. They both took a seat on the couch and Kai crossed his arms over his chest angrily. The boy's features were set into a tight frown and he was glaring at nothing in particular. Eventually, Hiei felt his eyes settled on him unhappily, but there was little that Hiei could do about his sour mood.

"This sucks," Kai huffed after a few moments of silence. "That Shishiwakamaru guy is all wrong for her."

"Shishiwakamaru?" Hiei asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

Unfortunately he did. If Hiei recalled correctly, Shishiwakamaru was the same fool who always had a following of girls chasing after him. He reveled in the attention and it was no secret that he was a bit of a womanizer.

"Well, do you know him?" Kai asked again, nudging Hiei insistently.

No," Hiei lied. There was no way that Botan was about to go on a date with the same Shishiwakamaru that he was thinking of. She might have been naïve too trusting at times, but even she would not have been taken under that fool's spell.

"Well he's the worst," Kai said darkly. The boy's frown suddenly quirked upwards into a devious smirk as a thought came to mind. "I bet if I pretended to be sick, Botan would stay home."

"Behave," Hiei told him, although the idea did not sound entirely bad to his ears.

"Oh fine," Kai grumbled, flopping down so that he was laying on half of the couch.

Ten minutes later, Botan returned to the living room. Kai sat up to view her and Hiei did the same in a much subtle manner. She was dressed in a flirty pink dress, hair drawn up into its signature ponytail and a light dusting of makeup on her face. Hiei noticed that she was wearing the jewelry set that he and Kai had gotten her for her birthday and the fact that she had put so much effort into her appearance for a man who did not deserve it burned something dark and fierce in Hiei's chest.

"Well, what do you two think?" Botan asked, doing a little twirl.

Kai refused to answer, in fact the boy declined to look at her at all and Hiei noticed how quickly Botan's expression deflated. She looked over at Hiei worriedly, before brining her gaze down to look at Kai.

"Kai?" she asked, a frown etched into her features.

The boy looked away stubbornly, mouth set into a firm line.

"Answer her when she's talking to you," Hiei ordered firmly.

Kai sighed and brought his gaze up to meet Botan's.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry that you're upset," Botan started sympathetically.

Kai's expression softened upon seeing Botan's conflicted one. His shoulders wilted in defeat and he opened his mouth to speak, but Botan was faster.

"I didn't think about how you would feel if I went on this date and I suppose that wasn't fair," she continued. "If it really bothers you this much, then I won't go. You're the most important thing to me and I don't want you to be unhappy."

"No," Kai said quickly, regret heavy in his tone as he shook his head. "It's okay. You should go."

"…Are you sure you're okay with this?" Botan questioned.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod, before breaking out into a shy smile. "You look really pretty by the way."

"Thanks sweetie." Botan smiled at him softly.

The doorbell rang, interrupting their moment and Hiei steeled himself for what he was about to see.

"Well, that's my date."

Hiei stood up from the couch and watched as Botan opened the door. His gaze hardened when he saw that her date was the same Shishiwakamaru that he remembered from college. Same blue hair, same ridiculous hairstyle and same over-confident gaze. Hiei's crossed his arms tightly over his chest as Botan let the man inside. A look of recognition flashed in his purple eyes as he spotted Hiei.

"Hiei," Shishiwakamaru said stiffly.

Hiei grunted noncommittally in response. The two of them had never gotten along before and there was no reason to pretend otherwise now.

"You two knew each other?" Botan asked.

Shishiwakmaru nodded at the same time that Hiei answered.

"No."

"You seriously don't remember me?" Shishi asked. "We went to the same college."

"Hn, I don't make it a point to remember insignificant people."

Hiei didn't miss Kai's smirk or the affronted look on Shishiwakamaru's face.

"Don't be rude, Hiei," Botan said, shooting him with a warning look.

"So, he's the father?" Shishi asked, pointing between Hiei and Kai and putting the pieces together.

"Yes, he is," Botan replied.

"Makes sense," Shishi said, although something about his tone made Hiei angry.

Botan didn't seem to catch it, taking it a compliment as she smiled back at him.

"Yes, sometimes those two are so alike that I can hardly believe it," she agreed, turning to view the both of them. Her expression dropped when she noticed the way that Kai was glaring at Shishiwakamaru and Hiei was sure that his expression wasn't any better off.

The atmosphere turned tense and awkward and Shishiwakamaru cleared his throat pointedly.

"Our reservations are in a half an hour, so we better leave now," he advised.

"Alright," Botan nodded, before looking back at Hiei and Kai.

"You two boys have fun, now," she urged with a wave.

"And don't wait up," Shishi teased with a smirk.

And then she was gone.

Kai watched the door as if he could will Botan to return, before looking over at Hiei.

"See?" Kai asked. "Didn't I tell you that he was the worst?"

"Hn. He's the same fool as he was back then; lost in delusions of grandeur and vanity."

Kai's eyes brightened upon hearing that.

"Yeah! He's all wrong for her," Kai started. "She needs someone… someone like you."

Hiei froze.

"What?"

"You know, someone brave and strong and smart," Kai said.

Hiei disregarded the comment, instead choosing to sit down on the couch and go through his phone. Kai took a seat next to him and grinned up at Hiei.

"Didn't Botan look really pretty?"

"..."

Hiei's brow crinkled.

"Well?" Kai pressed.

"..."

"Yusuke says she's hot, but I think she's really pretty. Don't you?" he continued.

Hiei's jaw ticked. The fact that Yusuke was openly hitting on the mother of his child while their aforementioned child was close enough to hear it didn't settle well with him at all.

"Earth to Hiei?" Kai called out, waving a hand in front of his face.

"It doesn't matter what I think," he finally answered.

"Sure it does," Kai insisted.

"Why?"

"Just because," Kai grinned secretively.

Hiei raised a suspicious brow at the boy.

"What are you doing?"

"Just asking."

"Why?"

"Just because."

"Hn. You're every bit as intrusive, curious and strange as the woman."

Kai only smiled wider, apparently taking his comment as a compliment.

"Do you-"

"I'm not answering anymore of your disturbing questions," Hiei stated with an air of finality.

"Aw, you're no fun."

"So I've been told," Hiei answered dryly.

Kai laughed up at him and Hiei wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to that warm feeling he got in his chest whenever the boy looked at him like that.

"Are you hungry?" Hiei asked, looking to divert the boy's attentions to something other than Botan.

"Kinda," he answered. "Can we have dessert after?"

"That depends on if you ask me any more intrusive questions."

"My lips are sealed!" Kai promised obediently, zipping his mouth shut for good measure.

Hiei got up to reheat their dinner and then spent the rest of the night subjected to Kai's every whim. He would never admit it to anyone else, but he had an increasingly difficult time saying no to the boy. Especially when they were alone. Luckily for him, Kai knew well enough not to repeat a word about the degrading things that Hiei had done simply because the boy had asked.

Hours later, after Kai was showered, changed and had brushed his teeth, Hiei sent him off to bed. He picked his phone up from Botan's makeshift workstation in the living room and frowned when he looked down at his wallpaper. Kai had changed it to a picture of himself grinning and giving the camera a peace sign.

When the boy was grinning so openly, Hiei couldn't help but think of Botan.

The same woman who was too innocent to realize when she was sending mixed signals, the same woman who was far too trusting and far too simple, the same woman who was extremely late in getting home and had yet to message him about it was currently out on a date with the biggest playboy of their graduating class.

He gritted his teeth as he stared at the clock on his phone. It wasn't like him to worry about someone else, but ever since Kai had made an appearance in his life, he found himself doing the things he had never allowed himself to before. And, unfortunately for him, that included caring enough about someone else to become bothered over them.

The sound of movement on the other end of the door broke him out of his thoughts. He shoved his phone into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest as Botan entered the apartment. He quickly checked her appearance – she didn't look out of place or flustered.

"Sorry, there was traffic getting back home and then to top it all off, my phone died," she explained sheepishly.

Hiei only grunted in response.

"Did everything go well?" Botan asked.

"Kai's asleep," he answered curtly.

"That's good," Botan answered.

They were both quiet for a while, neither one willing to say much of anything before Hiei broke the silence.

"Did he try anything?" he asked.

Botan's mouth hung open for a moment, clearly shocked by his curiosity. Even he was shocked that he had asked. But he wanted to know and there was no shame in that.

"Well, I suppose he did lay it on pretty thick," Botan recalled.

Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"But I didn't let anything happen," she answered.

"Why?" Hiei asked, before he had the chance to filter the thought.

"To be honest, I just wasn't that into him. Which is surprising, considering how much I liked him during college," she revealed. "I suppose my old college crush didn't amount to much in the present."

Hiei ignored the brief sense of satisfaction and relief that arose as the tension in his muscles eased away.

"Kai could have told you that much."

"Hey, now, at least I put myself out there," she defended. "Which is more than I can say about you, mister."

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"I don't need to go on any dates."

"And why is that?"

Kai chose that moment to interrupt, exiting his room with a stifled yawn.

"You're back," he said, squinting through tired eyes.

"That I am," she grinned, giving him a hug.

"How was it?" Kai asked.

"It was alright, but I don't think I'll be seeing much of Shishi anymore," she confessed. "I would have rather spent the night home with you boys."

Kai bit back a pleased grin and Hiei swallowed the satisfied sentiment that rose within him.

"Now, off to bed," Botan instructed.

"'Kay," Kai agreed, happily. "Goodnight Hiei."

Hiei nodded at the boy, watching as he entered his room.

"Thanks again, for tonight," Botan said.

"He's my son. You shouldn't thank me for watching him."

Botan gave him a pleased smile.

"That's true."

They both remained in their spots, the air feeling heavier between them. In the dim light of the apartment, he could see Botan's bright eyes clearly, searching his for something that he wasn't sure was there. Words unspoken lingered in the air between them, weighing it down and changing the mood considerably. Botan cleared her throat and Hiei looked away.

"Well, goodnight."

Hiei nodded and left. He wasn't quite sure what was happening between the two of them and the more he thought about it, the more disconcerted he felt. As he stepped into the night air, he looked back at Botan's apartment window. The last light went out and Hiei decided to do what he did best: push his troubling feelings aside.

* * *

They were all over at Kurama's place tonight and Kai's mood was lifted knowing that the whole Shishiwakamaru fiasco was behind them.

Kurama's place was just as nice and spacious as Hiei's apartment and it had all sorts of cool plants and books that Kai was interested in. Kuwabara and Yukina were on a date and Shizuru had some work event, so the rest of the gang decided to spend the night here. While he and Kurama were busy piecing together a complicated puzzle, Yusuke worked on dinner in the kitchen and Hiei and Botan were chatting it up on the opposite couch.

Kai pretended to be fully concentrated on the puzzle that he and Kurama were working on while he eavesdropped on them.

"So, do you want to meet us at the carnival or should we all go together?" Botan asked conversationally.

Hiei's brow creased in confusion and Kai pursed his lips together to stop himself from laughing. He was a genius. He told Botan that Hiei was interested in coming to the carnival with them, hoping that she would be able to rope him into the activity. She was usually good at that sort of thing and Kai had no doubt in his mind that she would pull through as usual.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei replied.

"Kai and I are going to the carnival tomorrow. He said you wanted to come along. Don't you remember, silly?" she teased lightly.

"I hate the carnival," Hiei said, disdain rising in his voice. "It's filled with loud noises and wild children."

"I could've sworn that Kai said that you wanted to join. Maybe I misunderstood..."

"Hn."

"Well, if you're free the offer stands," she suggested.

"…I'll check my schedule," he answered much to Kai's satisfaction.

Kai tried to hide a grin behind his hand, but Kurama was watching him knowingly. Of course he would catch on to his plans, he was probably the smartest one out of all of them.

"Kai," Kurama started lightly in that admonishing tone of his.

"Um, I'm gonna go help Yusuke in the kitchen!" he suggested, jumping off of the couch and dashing towards where Yusuke was. He would crack under Kurama's careful gaze and he couldn't afford to mess things up when he had only just started trying.

He closed the door behind him and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Kurama had not bothered following him into the kitchen. He was safe for now. Something smelled really good and he wondered if Yusuke had made a brand new dish for them to test out.

"Do you need any help?" Kai asked good-naturedly.

Yusuke's back was turned to Kai as he removed the last pot from the stove and wiped his hands.

"No, but you're just the person I wanted to see," he said as he faced Kai with a shrewd expression on his face.

"Why?" Kai asked, suddenly feeling defensive.

"I'm onto you kid," Yusuke started, an intuitive glint sharpening his brown eyes.

Kai's brows shot up and he began to panic. Either way he was doomed; both Kurama and Yusuke had seen right through him. All he needed now was for Shizuru to come in and figure everything out.

"It's not what you think…" Kai tried.

"It's _exactly_ what I think," Yusuke countered. "Hiei and Botan might be too dense to realize that you're trying to pull a classic Parent Trap on them, but I'm not."

Kai frowned as Yusuke continued.

"You can't just force those two to be together because they happen to be your parents," Yusuke explained bluntly. "Not all mothers and fathers are meant to be together."

"What would you know about it?" he shot back defensively.

"More than you think," Yusuke replied, his tone softer this time. "I used to be like you once."

Kai blinked unbelievingly.

"…Really?"

"Yeah, but it didn't work out," Yusuke revealed with a careless shrug. "Unlike you, my parents weren't exactly role models. My mom worked things out eventually, but my old man, he was another story."

"Oh," Kai said, looking down at the floor sadly when he realized that he never met either of Yusuke's parents. He had met Kurama's mother and Kuwabara's father, but Yusuke never really talked about his. "I'm sorry."

"Don't give me that look," Yusuke started. "It was a long time ago and I'm perfectly fine."

Kai lifted his gaze to look up at Yusuke unsurely.

"…What happened?" he asked.

Yusuke looked distant for a moment, his eyes unfocused as he thought back.

"My old man wasn't around much, but when I was your age, I used to think he was the greatest guy in the whole world. I stupidly always wished that he would stick around for good and that he and my mom would work things out and stay together. I was probably a few years older than you when I finally realized that that day would never come. He ended up leaving us for good because other things were more important to him. My mom picked up a nasty drinking habit that took years for her to quit. And as for me, well, let's just say I wasn't the nicest of guys back then either. In any case, having the two go separate ways was the best thing that could've happened to us."

"Why?"

"Because I learned that I didn't need him. My mom figured it out eventually too."

"I'm really sorry... I didn't know."

"It's alright. Nobody really knows the full story. Never said it out loud like this before."

"Not even to Kuwabara or Botan?"

"Not even to them."

"So... this is like a secret between men?"

Yusuke looked at him and chuckled.

"Botan's really got to stop letting Kuwabara babysit you, but yeah, it's a secret between men."

Kai nodded eagerly.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Good and I won't tell anyone about your extracurricular matchmaking activities."

Kai's brows lifted in surprise.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah, I'm a man of my word," Yusuke claimed, puffing his chest out. "Most of the time, anyway."

Kai grinned and Yusuke's expression turned more serious.

"But you have to understand that things might now work out the way you expected them to," Yusuke warned.

"I still want to try," Kai stated.

"Suit yourself kiddo. Who am I to stop you when you've got Botan's endless optimism and Hiei's sure-fire look in your eye?"

Kai ducked his head in embarrassment, unable to stop himself from grinning upon hearing that.

"C'mon, help me bring all of this stuff outside," Yusuke said, motioning to the impressive spread he had made.

"'Kay."

Once all of the plates were dished out and they were seated around the table, Botan looked over at Kai.

"What were you two talking about so seriously in there?" she asked playfully.

"It's a secret between men," Kai answered, tight-lipped and serious.

Hiei's lip curled in disgust.

"I'm banning him from seeing Kuwabara," he declared.

"But I like Kuwabara!" Kai countered, fist curled around his spoon as he frowned up at Hiei.

"Too bad," Hiei replied mercilessly.

Kai looked over to Botan for some kind of help and she shook her head disapprovingly.

"Don't worry, he's only joking," she soothed.

"I wasn't aware that Hiei had a sense of humor," Kurama joined in.

"I don't," Hiei deadpanned.

"Well, if Hiei places a ban, then I'll just lift it," Botan suggested confidently.

"That doesn't sound like very effective parenting," Kurama jested.

"Yeah, I say you cut your losses, Kuwabara's got to go," Yusuke joked.

Hiei cracked a smirk and even Botan let out a little amused laugh. Kai crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, not finding the humor in this situation at all.

"Don't listen to them, Kai. If all goes well with Kuwabara and Yukina, then he might very well become your uncle. So he will be sticking around whether Hiei likes it or not," Botan pacified with a wink.

Kai's sour expression dissipated and was soon replaced by a satisfied smile at the thought of being related to Kuwabara.

"Awesome!" he cheered.

Hiei's expression darkened considerably while Yusuke and Kurama chuckled at his expense. Kai started on his meal with a satisfied grin and everyone followed suit. The conversation lulled for a while as everyone appreciated Yusuke's cooking until Botan broke the silence.

"So, about the carnival tomorrow…" she started, turning towards Hiei.

Kai stopped eating to look up at him hopefully.

Hiei paused to regard him before nodding.

"I'll go," he answered.

Yusuke and Kai exchanged a knowing look and then Kai swallowed a spoonful of rice as warm feeling settled in his gut. He didn't know much about love or romance, but he figured he was doing enough. If he kept creating these opportunities for them and if it was meant to be, then he was sure that it would all work out. Just like Kuwabara had said.

The following night Kai and Botan were both staring out of the window. Rain pelted heavily on the windowpane and bright flashes of lightning illuminated the thundering sky.

"I'm sorry," Botan apologized as she turned away from the window. "I had no idea that the weather was going to turn out like this."

"That's okay," he said, hiding his disappointment. Truth be told, he was more upset over the fact that he wouldn't get a chance at pushing Hiei and Botan closer together than he was at the fact that he wouldn't be going to the carnival.

"We can still do something fun," Botan suggested.

"Like what?"

"We can make a fort out of blankets and pillows and watch movies all night. How does that sound?"

"That sounds awesome!" he agreed.

The two got to work creating a suitable form, before plopping in a G rated horror movie. They were nice and cozy under the cover of their blankets when a blinding flash of light illuminated the apartment. The next thing they knew, the entire room was plunged into darkness.

Botan stood up to flick the lights on, letting out a sigh when nothing happened.

"The storm must have knocked the entire block's power supply off," Botan noted as she looked out of the window and frowned.

Kai stiffened at Botan's side and as a loud bang of thunder echoed within the silent apartment. He wasn't afraid of the dark but he was afraid of the mysterious unknown, and when the wind whished ominously and caused the entire apartment to creak, he let out a scream.

"It's okay," Botan soothed. "It's just-"

She was interrupted by a loud knock on the door and then she was screaming too. Kai felt her arms wrap around him and he buried his face in her shirt as he continued to scream. The front door swung open and Botan shined the flashlight from her phone onto the intruder. They boht let out a sigh of relief when they saw Hiei coming through the door after having used the spare key they kept outside.

"Oh, thank goodness, it's only you," Botan breathed out.

"Why were you two screaming?" he asked, frowning as he looked between the both of them. There was a drenched umbrella in his hand the bottom of his pants were a little damp from the rain.

Botan laughed nervously.

"Oh, that? That was a fun new game. It's all the rage these days," she tried to explain sheepishly.

Hiei looked unconvinced, turning to Kai instead.

"We got scared," he revealed plainly.

Botan shot him a withering look and he shrugged his shoulders.

"You told me it wasn't right to lie."

Botan's shoulders deflated in defeat as she faced Hiei.

"In any case, we can't go to the carnival in this weather. I should have texted you but I figured you knew that already."

Hiei stood there as though he was contemplating something, before shoving his hands in his pockets and giving Botan a determined look.

"I'll take him home with me. He shouldn't stay in a dark and dank apartment."

"My apartment isn't dank!" she objected indignantly.

"You too, woman."

Botan lost her anger, brows drawn closer together in confusion.

"...What?"

Kai lit up immediately, taking a step between them.

"Hiei's saying that you should come too!" he clarified excitedly.

Botan hesitated, looking past Kai to search Hiei's gaze.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Hiei's expression did not waver.

"I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise."

Botan thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Well, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?" she relented. "Thanks Hiei."

"Hn."

She looked down at Kai and motioned for him to follow her.

"Come on, kiddo, let's pack our bags."

"'Kay!"

Kai trailed after her, helping to fill up their overnight bag with items that he thought they might need. He was grinning from ear to ear, unable to believe his good luck. This was even better than the carnival!

"What are you smiling at? Happy that you get to spend the night at Hiei's?" she asked teasingly.

"Yup. And I'm even happier that you're coming too," he revealed as he threw some of his clothes into the bag.

Botan ruffled his hair fondly.

"Such a sweet-talker."

Soon enough they had finished packing and returned to the living room. Hiei was waiting for them near the door, looking bored and aloof as ever.

"Alright, we're ready," Botan said.

Kai watched as Hiei wordlessly took the large duffel bag from Botan and motioned for the two of them to exit first. As they walked down the hallway together, Kai realized that this was all that he wanted: the chance for them to be together.

* * *

Hiei unlocked the door to his apartment and let Kai and Botan enter first. He had Kai over many times, but this was the first (and would be the only) time that he invited the woman, too. She had done a lot for him and he wasn't quite sure how to repay her. This was a step, at least.

He watched as Botan lingered in the living room unsurely until Kai grabbed her hand.

"Come on," Kai urged, leading her to the guest room where he had stayed on occasion.

Hiei watched them retreat into the room before retiring to his own. His guestroom had more or less turned into a second bedroom for Kai and he could hear the boy showing Botan all of the items he had collected over the short time he had inhabited the area.

Hiei ignored the odd sensation that blossomed in his chest upon hearing the animated way Kai that had chattered on about something that Hiei had recently bought him. It was far too easy to please the boy and Hiei felt that he did not deserve any of Kai's devout admiration. There was no sense in dwelling on it, though, so he tuned Kai out as he changed into more comfortable clothing and then settled on the couch in the living room. It was still raining heavily outside, but his apartment building had a backup generator and he was sure that the electricity would remain in tact for the entirety of the storm.

Kai and Botan had joined him a few minutes later, taking a seat on the same couch as him. Botan's hair was tied into a loose bun and Kai was in an oversized t-shirt and shorts.

"So, what should we do?" Botan wondered, bringing her finger to rest on her chin as she thought of possible activities.

"Let's have a staring contest!" Kai suggested.

"Alright, it's been a while, but I'm sure it can't be that hard," she said determinedly.

"Not with me," Kai said, hopping off of the couch. "I'm the worst at this game. You should try with Hiei."

"W-what?" Botan spluttered as she looked over at him.

"Go on," Kai encouraged.

"No, that's quite alright. In fact, Hiei doesn't even play games," she declined, putting all the blame on him.

"Is it because you're scared, Hiei?" Kai asked, childlike curiosity swimming in his purple eyes. "Because you don't have to be. This game is really easy."

"It's because I don't have the patience or interest to indulge in trivial games," Hiei replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But there's nothing better to do. So why don't you just try?"

"No," Hiei said firmly.

"Aw, come on," Kai whined.

"No."

"Pretty please with all your favorite toppings on top?"

"No."

"What about with-mmph-"

Hiei covered Kai's mouth with his hand and glared at him. He was sure that Kai was about to say something embarrassing and the boy looked back at him sheepishly.

"Oh, let's just humor him," Botan suggested. "Unless you really are afraid to lose."

There was a teasing lilt to her voice and Hiei rolled his eyes as he released Kai.

"Taunting won't work on me, woman. You forget that I'm not as juvenile as Yusuke or Kuwabara."

"But you are as competitive," she noted. "And the sooner we do this, the sooner we can get it over with."

Kai looked at him pleadingly.

"Just one round? I even have a prize for the winner!" he claimed.

"Yes, Hiei, don't be so cruel. Surely one game won't shatter your fragile male ego," Botan tried.

Hiei turned to face her with an irritated glare.

"Fine."

They stared at each other from opposite corners of the couch and Kai set his hands on his hips.

"You guys should get closer," he suggested.

"Huh?" Botan blinked unsurely.

"Come on," Kai instructed, motioning for Botan to forward. "It's the rules of the game."

"Oh fine," Botan conceded as she scooted a little closer towards Hiei.

Kai shook his head, clearly unsatisfied.

"A little more," he urged.

Botan moved a fraction closer to Hiei.

"A little more."

Botan sighed and scooted an inch closer.

"Almost there."

Botan began to shuffle her way forward, when Hiei took the liberty of destroying the distance between them until only a few inches remained. She sucked in a surprised breath of air and her cheeks flushed, but Hiei ignored it.

"Close enough for you?" Hiei asked Kai challengingly.

"Perfect." Kai grinned cheekily. "Alright, first one to blink loses."

Botan gulped at their proximity and nodded numbly.

"Ready, set, go!"

Hiei set his eyes on Botan, his expression indifferent and unreadable as always. It was strange to stare at her wordlessly, at such a close proximity and for such a long period of time, but he had no intentions of losing or backing down. The entire apartment was quiet, save for the sounds of the storm raging on outside and Hiei could feel Kai's eyes on him as well.

The longer he stared at her, the more he paid attention to the woman's features. He noticed the shape of her eyes and the peculiar way that they appeared to be more purple than pink tonight. He noticed the length of her lashes and the way they curled. He had been noticing a lot of things about her lately, without really intending to.

"And Botan wins!"

Hiei didn't even realize that he had broken eye contact and blinked until Kai let out his exclamation.

"Congratulations Botan!" he cheered. "And you did a great job, too, Hiei. It was really close."

"Yes, it was an admirable try, Hiei," Botan replied.

He grunted in response.

"So, what's that prize you mentioned earlier?" she asked, turning towards Kai expectantly.

"Oh, that… um, well, I haven't thought of it yet," Kai answered, rubbing the back of his neck lamely.

"Kai…" she started warningly.

"I'll think of something, I promise!"

"That's not the point, honey, we talked about how bad it is to lie. Even if it is a little white lie like this one."

"I know," he said guiltily. "But I'll make it up by giving you a super, awesome present. And I'll give Hiei one too."

"Well, don't you know how to butter a girl up," she winked.

Kai grinned in response.

"So, what do want to do next?" he asked. "You get to choose since you won the last game. But if you can't think of anything, then I have an idea for another game."

"Uh, what do you say we watch a nice movie, instead?" Botan suggested.

"Yes, I grow tired of these childish games," Hiei added.

"But I-" Kai tried.

"I brought the Lion King," Botan sing-songed.

The boy's frown was immediately replaced by a satisfied grin. "Okay!"

Although Hiei had dreaded those animated musical type dramas that those two loved so much, he had to admit that it was a better alternative to any of those pushy games Kai would have insisted they play. He had a sneaking suspicion as to why Kai had taken to pestering him about Botan lately, but Hiei did not want to go any further down that line of thought, so he settled into the couch quietly and kept his eyes glued to the screen.

True to Hiei's suspicions, Kai predictably had taken up the entire half of the couch, causing Botan to sit directly beside Hiei with little to no room between them. He had half a mind to get up and sit on the one-seater, but this was his favorite spot and he wasn't exactly uncomfortable. There was absolutely no reason for him to move. If Botan had a problem with it, she was free to get up and she had yet to make a move, either.

As the night wore on, Botan and Kai had taken to quoting every line and singing along to the each song. Hiei had no idea why they insisted on watching a movie they had clearly seen one too many times, but he supposed it could have been worse. The plot was acceptable, the characters weren't entirely unbearable and he supposed the story had a meaningful message for the children who watched it.

When it had ended, Kai let out an exaggerated yawn, before blinking slowly.

"I'm beat," he voiced.

"Already?"

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna go to sleep now," he mentioned.

"Do you need-"

"I'm okay," he said quickly, before giving them a sly smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Botan echoed.

Hiei nodded in return.

Botan watched as he scampered off to the guest room, before turning to Hiei.

"That's a little strange. He usually tries to stay up until the last possible minute," she recalled, a confused frown etched into her features.

"Trying to figure him out is almost as pointless as trying to understand you," Hiei declared.

"Hey! Are you calling us strange again?"

"Take it however you see fit, woman."

Botan nudged him lightly, but he did not retaliate, choosing to smirk at her in response. He watched as she let out a huff, pink lips pouting out in annoyance. Without Kai taking up half of the couch, there was no reason for her be in such close proximity and she seemed to realize that in the same moment as him. Her cheeks tinted red as she scooted to put some space between them.

"Um, anyway, I'm not really tired, so I think I'll stay up for a while longer. You can go, though. I'll make sure everything is turned off before I turn in."

Hiei remained in his seat wordlessly. Months ago, he would have taken her up on that offer and retreated to his room. Months ago, he wouldn't have even offered for her to stay the night. But somewhere along the line her presence had become less of a hindrance and more of a constant fixture. He had never really had anyone over at his place, but here she was, as though she fit right in. Kai was the only one he had allowed to enter his domain so freely and frequently, but she was something else entirely.

"Really, you don't have to keep me company," she restated, when he made no move to leave.

"I'm not keeping you company, I'm just not tired," he replied simply. And it was the simple truth. He would have rather wasted time out here with her than retire to his room and stare up at the ceiling until sleep had overtaken him.

"Alright then," she answered, settling back into the seat and flicking through the television channels.

The two settled into a comfortable silence and Hiei glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he tried to figure her out. She was like a splash of technicolor in an otherwise greyscale world. She was bright and lively and calm and soothing all at once. She was too loud, too emotional and too meddling but despite all of that, he didn't mind it when she lingered near him or when she sought him out. He didn't mind it when her eyes rested on him for longer than needed or when her mouth was quirked upwards because of something he had done. It didn't make any sense at all and, yet, as he sat beside her under the dim light of the apartment, he realized that perhaps he didn't need to figure it out. Not yet, anyway.

The next morning Botan insisted on making breakfast (and had somehow managed to do so without burning down the apartment), Kai insisted on doing the dishes and then they both insisted that Hiei join them for a game of jenga that Kai had brought from home. He didn't put up much of a struggle, knowing that it was futile in the end, and that's how he ended up seated on the floor beside Kai and Botan in the middle of the living room.

The entire apartment was quiet, save for the light scattering of rain against the windows. It was all so domestic, and for the first time, Hiei found himself not minding it at all.

Hiei had just finished making his move by pulling a piece that left the tower on its last legs. Hiei smirked. His last move should have ensured his victory – there was no way that either the woman or Kai would find any success during their turns – but against all odds, Botan had managed to successfully complete her turn without destroying the tower.

A focused look pinched Kai's features as he examined the blocks. The boy was every bit as competitive as Hiei was.

"Ah, ah, ah," Botan wagged a finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kai reconsidered, moving his small fingers towards a different piece that by all rights should have crumbled the entire tower. The boy shared a knowing look with Botan, before grinning at Hiei.

"Your turn!"

Hiei frowned. Those blue-haired menaces had sabotaged him. He watched as they high-fived each other, before bringing his gaze back to the wooden blocks. He glared at the tower, reaching a hand out to grab a piece when the doorbell rang. Crimson eyes flickered over to the front door in annoyance and Botan laughed, shaking her head lightly.

"I'll get it," she offered, pushing herself into a standing position. She looked down at him with a wink. "We wouldn't want to break your concentration."

"I'll make sure he doesn't cheat," Kai offered, staring at Hiei with a serious expression.

Hiei's eyes cut to Kai's.

"I don't cheat," Hiei told him flatly.

"I'll be the judge of that."

"How do you even cheat in this game?" Hiei countered, eyes narrowing further.

"I dunno," Kai said with a shrug. "But if you figure out a way, I'll be watching you."

Hiei scoffed at the child, before returning attempting to return his attentions to the game. A foreboding feeling tore at the edges of his senses, disorienting him. Something wasn't right and though he tried to ignore it, the dark feeling spread from his chest to his gut.

 _"Is Hiei home?"_

The familiar voice hit him like a ton of bricks and before he could even react, the entire jenga structure fell apart and scattered all over the floor.

Suddenly, his sense of reality was skewered. The axis that his world spun on had tilted and threw everything off course as his two realms were suddenly forced to collide. He stared at the orange-haired woman at the door, completely at a loss for words as his chest tightened uncomfortably.

"Who's she?" Kai asked, looking over at the door in curiosity.

"She's…" Hiei started, dragging his gaze to look at Botan almost guiltily. "She's my fiancé."

* * *

Oh shit. Hiei has some explaining to do.

All will be explained in the next chapter, so let me know what you thought about this one!


	14. Chapter 14

Botan watched Hiei's sour expression worsened upon having realized that it was his turn to make a move when the jenga tower was one slight touch away from falling. Crimson eyes narrowed determinedly as he examined the flimsy structure, searching for the safest option and Botan and Kai looked on with bated breaths. The apartment was deadly silent as he reached out a hand.

Botan secretly hoped that he would make the wrong move because it was her turn next, but before he could complete his move, the doorbell rang. Hiei's fingers shrunk back as his gaze flickered to the front door in annoyance.

"I'll get it it," Botan offered, pushing herself to a standing position. She winked down at Hiei teasingly. "We wouldn't want to break your concentration."

He grunted in response and Kai offered to watch Hiei in the off chance that he cheated. The two began squabbling over something or the other and Botan couldn't help but chuckle as she opened the door.

She had expected it to be either Yukina or Haru, but the woman standing opposite of her was tall and slender and completely unfamiliar. Short, orange hair framed blue eyes and a level expression that stared back at Botan calmly.

"Is Hiei home?" she asked, her tone authoritative and collected.

Although Botan had only been in her presence for all of five seconds, she could already tell that this woman was the strong, assured type who never wavered or lost her confidence. The bluette found herself straightening her posture unconsciously as she replied.

"Why, yes, he's just…" Botan turned around to view him and was momentarily distracted by the shock written on his face. It was slight, just a glint of surprise in his eyes, but Botan knew him well enough by now. She wondered who this woman could possibly be in order to elicit such a response from Hiei.

Sure enough, their son asked the question that begged to be answered and Hiei snapped out of it. He turned a near guilty look towards Botan and, in that moment, she couldn't help but feel more distant from him. She felt as though she was about to lose him and didn't know why. It was crazy and irrational, but she did not want to hear the words that he was preparing himself to say.

"She's…" Hiei began lowly. "She's my fiancée."

Botan's eyes widened at the confession and a cold numbness washed over her. If her heart could shatter, it probably would have right then and there, but instead it continued to pound in her chest and the world around her continued to go on. Botan searched Hiei's dark eyes for signs that she may have misheard him, but the look on his face was unmistakable.

The woman – Hiei's fiancée – cleared her throat, bringing Botan back to reality.

"Please come in," Botan invited, stepping aside so that she could enter the apartment. Hiei and Kai had joined them near the hallway leading to the front door and she willed her heart to stop thumping so erratically in fear of the others hearing it.

"Mukuro," Hiei greeted, in his usual monotonous way. "I didn't know you were coming."

"That's because I never told you," she replied nonchalantly, not at all affected by his indifferent treatment.

Botan had expected them to be a little bit warmer in their interactions considering that they were _engaged_ , but she appreciated the fact that she did not have to see either of them act affectionate with each other. She wasn't sure if she could take that just yet.

She turned away awkwardly as a few more words were exchanged between the two. Although she couldn't hear much over the mess of thoughts clashing and sailing through her mind, she tried her best to at least appear unaffected by it all.

"I don't believe we met before, are you one of Hiei's friends?" Mukuro asked, before looking down at Kai. "And is this your son?"

Botan glanced up at Mukuro, brows lifted high as she realized that the woman had no idea about herself or Kai. She wanted to be angry at Hiei for being dishonest, but instead she felt rejected and uncertain about where exactly she and Kai stood with Hiei. She forced a tight smile on her lips and nodded.

"Yes, he is my son," she answered. "I was just stopping by to write a piece on Hiei and I had to bring him along because there was no one available to watch him."

The lie rolled easily off of her tongue and she ignored the confused look that Kai gave her. She refused to meet his or Hiei's gaze entirely, instead choosing to keep her focus on Mukuro.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Mukuro started, her tone turning slightly apologetically.

"Oh no," Botan cut in far too quickly and hurriedly. "It's no trouble at all ... Actually we were just about finished here."

Kai's look of confusion deepened, but Botan shot him an imperative look as she took his hand and led him out of the apartment. She could feel Hiei's eyes on her, but she didn't bother sparing him a parting glance as she concentrated on getting out of the apartment as fast as possible. It didn't occur to her that she had left her phone and overnight bag at his place until they were two blocks away, but it wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things because Hiei was involved with someone else this entire time and he didn't think it was appropriate to tell them about her. And, to make matters worse, he didn't even think it necessary to tell his fiancée about them. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried push away the pathetic and desolate feeling that followed.

"Botan?" Kai asked from her side.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"I…I don't know," she answered honestly.

"…Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why would you ask that?"

"Because you look like you're about to cry."

Botan stopped in her tracks. So that's why the world had turned so blurry all of a sudden. She blinked back the tears and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine," she said, dragging a tight smile over her face. She had to be strong, if not for herself, then for her son. He shouldn't see her wavering like this. "I'm just surprised by the news is all."

Kai crossed his arms over his chest, a disappointed frown curving his mouth downwards. He looked so much like Hiei when he pulled that look and she felt another wave of sadness rush through her. She couldn't afford to let it overtake her though.

"Are you alright?" Botan asked him, ignoring her own emotions in lieu of focusing on Kai. He was what mattered most, after all.

Kai shook his head.

"Hiei should have told us," he grumbled angrily.

"I know," Botan soothed. "He should have told us about Mukuro, but I'm sure that he never meant to hurt anyone."

Kai's mouth was set in a firm line, so she continued.

"He must have had his reasons," Botan tried. "Hiei is a very private person. He was probably waiting for the right time."

Her words felt inadequate, even to her own ears, but it was the best she could do at this point. Kai looked up at her hesitantly, purple orbs rounded and cautious as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you think he's ashamed of us?" he questioned.

"No," Botan answered surely, this time with more confidence and assurance. "You are one of the most important people in his life. He would never be ashamed of you, Kai. He loves you."

Some of the tightness in Kai's features melted away as he nodded in agreement.

"Hiei just has trouble showing it. You must know that," Botan finished.

"Yeah," he agreed, looking more sure of himself as he nodded. "I still wish he told us about that Mukuro lady, though."

"You and me both," she related with a note of sadness. "I suppose for now, we will just have to see how things play out."

Kai nodded.

"Oh, and please don't say a word about this to anyone else until Hiei has broken the news himself. I don't think he would be too pleased with us if we spilled the beans."

"Alright," he answered obediently.

The two continued their trek back home in relative silence. Kai had taken to kicking stray pebbles passive aggressively as they walked on the sidewalk. It was an overcast and quiet day, the perfect conditions for staying in and working on her column, but Botan had a feeling that she wouldn't be all that productive right now. Especially not when thoughts of Hiei and his fiancée drifted through her mind and pricked at her heart. The tears began to gather again and she tried her best to blink them away. She could wallow in self-pity once she was in the privacy of her own home, but she refused to do it while she was out on the streets and in front of Kai. She noticed the convenience store up ahead and was relieved to see that they only had a few more blocks to go.

Just a few more blocks and she wouldn't have to hold it together anymore.

Just a few more steps and-

"Hey guys."

The familiar voice belonged to none other than Yusuke Urameshi. Usually his presence was more than enough to have her grinning again, but this time her heart only felt heavier.

"Hey, Earth to Botan?" he asked, waving a hand in her face.

"Oh, hello, Yusuke," she greeted dully. "What brings you out here?"

"Just needed to pick up a few things," he replied, holding a small plastic bag in his hand.

"That's nice," she replied lamely. They stared at each other for a few awkward moments, before Botan nodded decisively. "Well, we've got to go."

She made it all of one step, before Yusuke stopped her again.

"Hey – hey, where's the fire?" he asked, brow crinkling in worry. "Bo, you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, avoiding his gaze. Yusuke was always far too intuitive for his own good and he would find a way pull the information out of her if she stuck around any longer.

"Then why do you two look so down?" Yusuke pressed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"It's really nothing, Yusuke," Botan answered dismissively.

Yusuke cocked an unconvinced brow, before turning his brown-eyed gaze downwards to meet Kai's.

"Kid?" he tried.

"We just met Hiei's fiancée," Kai responded sourly, kicking at another stray pebble as he scowled at the pavement.

"What?" Yusuke exclaimed, brown eyes going wide as his brows shot up towards his hairline.

"Kai!" Botan rebuked, shooting him a stern look.

"Oops." The boy covered his mouth apologetically.

"Hiei's _what_ now?" Yusuke questioned.

"Um… Hiei's… er…friend," Kai supplied.

"You're as bad of a liar as Botan, which is saying something," Yusuke started, before turning to pin Botan with a searching look. "Is what he said true?"

Botan frowned.

"We really shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry, Yusuke, but you'll have to ask Hiei directly," Botan responded lowly. "Come on, Kai."

Kai gave Yusuke an apologetic frown as he was led away by Botan. She did not say anything as they walked home and when they entered their apartment, Kai turned his gaze up towards her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Botan shook her head at him, sympathy swimming in her amethyst eyes.

"No, Kai, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to lie about anything. And I shouldn't have lied to Mukuro. I should have told her the truth, but… I…"

"It's okay," he comforted, placing his small over hers.

Botan bent down to wrap him in her arms, finding comfort in his tiny embrace. He really was the best part of her life and she found comfort in that. She ruffled powder blue hair upon releasing him, sending him the first real smile she had given anyone since this morning.

"I love you," she said.

"Love you more."

And just like that, she knew that everything would be okay in the end. It might take some time and tears, but they were going to be just fine.

* * *

Try as he might, Hiei could not erase that saddened look on Botan's face from his mind. The way her eyes widened in shock and disbelief when he announced that he had a fiancée and the dull to the resigned disposition she took up before she had left bothered him more than he cared to admit.

"Did I interrupt your interview?" Mukuro's composed voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"The interview with the bluette," Mukuro clarified. "She ran off in a hurry. It wasn't my intention to intrude."

Hiei shook his head.

"No, she had a prior engagement," he lied, not liking the easy way that it fell out of his mouth. He decided to change the subject entirely, pushing his hands in his pockets. "I didn't realize you would be in Tokyo."

"I only came to see you for a brief moment," Mukuro revealed. "I'm here on business and thought it would be rude not to."

"Hn."

"I'll be back for the wedding."

"I know."

"We'll have more time to get reacquainted then," she hinted suggestively.

Hiei didn't even smirk at the provocative nature of her words. He just nodded distractedly, causing Mukuro's expression to drop. He couldn't get Botan or Kai out of his head. He knew that they were both probably angry with him and the thought didn't settle well in his chest.

"You look troubled."

Hiei threw his guard back up, an indifferent mask slipping over his features.

"It's nothing. A minor, work related issue," he dismissed.

Mukuro examined him for a few moments, blue eyes searching his expression before leaving his gaze entirely. She looked down at her watch and folded her arms over her chest.

"I've got a meeting in ten minutes and then I'm due back to Kyoto. I suppose I will see you at the wedding."

Hiei nodded. He knew that Mukuro was probably suspicious of his behavior, but he did not have the energy or the will to deal with it. She gave him one final nod before exiting through the door and leaving him alone in the silence of his apartment. He glanced down at the scattered remains of the jenga tower and sighed. This was not the way things were supposed to go. Hiei rubbed a hand at his face tiredly as he took a seat on the couch.

Logically, he knew that he was going to have to tell everyone the truth. He figured he had at least until Koenma's wedding in August to accomplish that, though. He never expected for Mukuro to show up unannounced when Botan and Kai just so happened to be at his place.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, wondering if he should call the woman when he noticed the amount of text messages that he had accumulated. He cursed when he realized that the others already knew about his little secret.

 _Why am I hearing from Kai that you have a super secret fiancée? What the hell is going on?_ – Yusuke.

 _Shorty found someone who was willing to marry him? I wonder who the girl could be. And why didn't you say something sooner, you punk?_ – Kuwabara.

 _If what Yusuke said is true, then we need to talk_ – Kurama.

 _Why are Yusuke and Yukina asking me about Mukuro? I didn't tell them anything. I swear!_ – Haru.

He also had several missed calls from Yukina.

He knew how relentless everyone could be, so he decided to let the proverbial cat out of the bag. He typed in a simple message on the group chat: _It's true. I have a fiancée and I will explain later._

He sent the message and then discarded his phone on the table. He rested his eyes for a few minutes, clearing his mind and trying to rid himself of his headache. He could still see the looks on Botan's and Kai's faces when he broke the news. He had to talk to them, but he was unsure of where and how to begin.

Hiei did not have much time to contemplate it before the doorbell rang. He already knew who it was; he was always hyperaware of Yukina. He supposed it was one of those twin things that people loved to go on about.

"Is this a good time?" she asked, her expression neutral save for the determined glint in her eyes.

He nodded wordlessly and let her inside.

They didn't even make it to the living room before she jumped right to the heart of the matter.

"You're engaged."

"Yes."

"And you kept it a secret from everyone… even me."

Hiei ignored the sad note in her voice as he shook his head.

"It's not what you think, Yukina," he told her.

"Then explain it to me, brother," she pleaded softly. "Because I can't understand how you could be engaged to someone and not say anything to any of us for months."

"Mukuro and I…" he began, rubbing a hand at his temples tiredly. "The two of us are the same. We have an understanding, an agreement."

"It sounds as though you're discussing one of your business deals," Yukina mentioned.

"It's similar enough."

"Hiei…" she started sympathetically.

"Don't," he cut her off. "Don't look at me as though you pity me because this is exactly what I want."

"Is it?" she asked, clearly skeptical.

"You wouldn't understand. You couldn't," he dismissed.

"Help me to understand," she said, taking a step closer to him. "I want to."

Hiei swallowed thickly, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"We are together because it is convenient. We understand each other without needing to say much. I don't call her every night, nor does she check in every day. When we got engaged, I didn't get down on one knee and spew romantic drivel. We were both at a bar after closing a near impossible deal. She said we made a good team and suggested that we make it permanent. I agreed."

Yukina looked at him, ruby orbs wide in confusion.

"Why would you subject yourself to a loveless marriage?"

"Because what we have is a sure thing. Love isn't required."

"How can you say that?"

"I told you before that I don't believe in love, and neither does Mukuro."

"Do you love me, Hiei?" she asked, eyes sharpening the way they did whenever she was concerned about someone. "Do you love Kai?"

"That's different," he replied. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Love exists in many different forms. Just because you haven't experienced it for yourself doesn't mean that it's not open and available to you."

"It isn't," Hiei told her. "This isn't a self-deprecating notion. I'm simply not built the same way as you or the others, Yukina. That type of love doesn't exist for me."

"Maybe you don't think it exists because you haven't opened yourself up enough to let it in?"

"Yukina," Hiei gritted warningly.

"How do you know that it doesn't work if you've never given it a chance?" she pushed.

"Like you have with that fool, Kuwabara?" he countered angrily.

"Please, don't insult him."

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Kuwabara is a good man. He treats me right and loves me more than I probably deserve," Yukina started. "You deserve the same thing and you could have that, if you would just open your eyes. It's right there, waiting for you."

"It isn't," he rejected.

"But Hiei..."

"I don't want to hear that I can do better or that this isn't right. It was my decision to make and I have no intentions of justifying it."

Yukina nodded.

"So, this is why you didn't tell anyone."

"I knew that none of you would understand."

"Even if we don't understand or approve, it would have been nice to know about it."

"…"

"You could have told _me_ , Hiei."

"I didn't want to," he replied honestly; because if Yukina deserved anything, it was his honesty.

"Were you ever going to say anything?" she inquired.

"Eventually."

"Did anyone else know?"

"Haru did, but it was unintentional."

"I see."

That disappointed look was back in her eye. He knew that she would never understand, but she would have to make peace with it. It was his life and if he chose to live it differently than hers, then she had to accept that. But still, he hated to upset her and he hated that he was the source of her distress.

"Yukina… I didn't do this to hurt you," he told her lowly.

"I know that," she replied. "I just wish you felt comfortable enough to tell me about it."

Hiei diverted his gaze.

"You've made so much progress in the last few months. Please don't retreat into your shell again. And please think about what I've said."

Hiei watched her go as her words resounded in his head.

Yukina was under the misguided impression that he had the chance to find love. That it was somehow _open and available_ to him. But she was wrong. This chance with Mukuro was all he required.

* * *

Kai was angry. He was angry at Hiei for not telling them about his engagement, he was angry at himself for not being able to get his parents together and he was even angry at this Mukuro lady, just for existing. Botan tried to hide it, but he knew that she was upset over this whole thing and that made him feel even angrier and even more inadequate.

He had hoped that Hiei would come over and explain himself, but the day had passed and he didn't even bother showing up. The next morning, Botan was all forced grins and false bravado. Her smiles didn't light up her eyes the way they usually did and her cheer was too thin and flimsy. Kai did not bother saying anything about it and he agreed to go with Yukina and Kuwabara for ice cream, thinking that Botan probably just wanted to be alone.

"Hey, Kuwabara," Kai started, catching the older man's gaze from across the table. "Botan was saying if you and Yukina got married, then you would be my uncle. Isn't that cool?"

A hot blush spread over Kuwabara's cheeks as a goofy grin appeared on his face.

"M-married? To my sweet angel?"

"Yeah!" Kai nodded.

Kuwabara laughed nervously, the mere thought of it was enough to make him giddy with joy. Yukina had a small smile on her face as well and Kai's smile turned wistful. This was exactly how things should have been between two people who liked each other. Hiei and Mukuro didn't look this way at all.

"…You should only marry someone if you love them, right?" he asked.

"Yes, absolutely," Yukina replied surely.

"Do you think Hiei loves Mukuro?" Kai asked.

Yukina and Kuwabara exchanged worried looks, before Yukina set her sights on Kai.

"It's hard to say," Yukina answered, though Kai had a feeling that she knew much more than she was letting on.

"Do you think that Mukuro loves Hiei?" Kai tried.

"Che, I can't see how anyone would-" Kuwabara grumbled under his breath.

"Kazuma," Yukina scolded gently.

"I mean, I sure hope so," he amended.

Kai paused for a few moments, before looking up at the both of them.

"Can you guys take me to him?"

"If he's free, we sure can," Kuwabara said, pulling out his phone and typing up a quick message.

"Thanks… I didn't want to ask Botan to do it. She seems pretty down," Kai noted quietly.

"That was very considerate of you," Yukina commended.

Kai smiled at her. She always made him feel warm and loved. The moment was interrupted when Kuwabara's phone sounded off with a notification.

"Hiei says Kai can come over," Kuwabara announced.

Kai felt a sense of relief upon hearing that. He would get some answers out of Hiei for his own sake and for Botan's. It was the least he could do after failing to get them together.

Hiei tapped his foot impatiently as he stared back at an unreadable Kai. The boy was seated atop one of the kitchen barstools and had yet to utter a single word since his arrival.

"Do you plan on staring at me all night or was there a reason for you coming here?" Hiei asked finally, feeling slightly uncomfortable under Kai's unyielding gaze.

"You never told me about your fiancée."

"You're my son, not my keeper," he reminded Kai. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"But I tell you everything," Kai reasoned in that child-like way of his, bottom lip jutted out in a pout.

"The affairs of an adult are much more complex than that of a child's," Hiei reasoned. "Besides, you don't have much to tell."

"That's what you think," Kai huffed, looking down at the floor.

"It's what I know."

Kai lifted his eyes to meet Hiei's. He looked so much like Botan in that moment, eyes rounded and searching his for an answer that he might not like. "…Do you love her?"

"What?"

"Do you love Mukuro?" he repeated.

"That's none of your business, Kai."

"It is if she's going to be my step-mom."

Hiei froze. He did not think about how Kai and Mukuro's lives would be intertwined now. And even Botan to an extent. Mukuro did not want children, and neither did he; it was partly why they made such a good match. They were always on the same wavelength. But Kai complicated things more than he cared to admit. He could not force Mukuro to be okay with Kai any more than he could force Kai to get over the fact that Mukuro was now a part of his life.

"Hiei?"

"What?"

"You spaced out."

"…There is more to a relationship than just love," Hiei finally answered.

"Kuwabara says love is the most important thing," Kai recited.

"Kuwabara is a fool; you shouldn't believe a word he says."

"But Kuwabara is the warrior of love!" Kai defended.

"That is a meaningless title that he gave to himself."

"I don't get it… Why would you be with her if you didn't love each other?"

The boy was young and naïve and Hiei knew that he could not possibly comprehend it, but he owed it to him to explain.

"We understand each other. We work well together. And that is all I will say on the matter."

"But what if you fell in love with someone else?"

"I won't."

"But love is like a hurricane!" Kai exclaimed over-dramatically. "You can't help when and where it comes."

"Did Kuwabara preach that nonsense to you too?"

"No, I read it in a manga."

"I don't care what your fictional characters or that blubbering buffoon, Kuwabara, says. Love doesn't apply to me."

"But what if you found your true love one day?"

"It won't happen."

"But what if it did?"

The boy was relentless and Hiei decided that the quickest way to end this conversation would be to indulge in it. He steeled his gaze as he looked back at Kai.

"I would stay with Mukuro because I made a commitment to her."

His answer seemed to upset Kai and the boy let out another annoyed huff.

"Ugh, you're impossible!"

Hiei's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why are you getting so worked up?"

"It's kid stuff, you wouldn't understand," Kai grumbled irritably as he hopped off of the stool. "Can you take me home?"

"Fine," Hiei answered, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he clenched it shut.

It was the first time in a long time that Kai was this upset with him and Hiei would be lying if he said that it did not affect him in the slightest bit. He glanced back at the boy before disappearing into the guest room to reclaim the duffel bag that Botan had brought over and subsequently forgotten in her haste to leave.

Kai was already waiting for him at the door, sneakers slipped on and cap set on his head. Hiei contemplated taking his car, but decided against it in lieu of spending a bit more time with Kai. The two walked back to Botan's apartment in a tense and heavy silence. Kai crossed his arms over his chest and stubbornly refused to look at Hiei, keeping his purple-eyed gaze locked onto some point in the distance. The sun was beginning to set and Hiei could not stand another minute in this strange atmosphere that had developed between them. The boy was always eager to spend as much time as he could with Hiei and now he was dead set on returning to Botan's apartment. It was unsettling.

Though, Hiei supposed he could understand. Kai was young and did not understand the complexities of life and relationships in the same way that Hiei did. Kai might have misunderstood Hiei's secrecy. He was only a child after, all. Hiei looked down at his son in resignation. He wasn't one for baring everything and laying it out in the open, but he felt the need to say this much.

"I'm not ashamed of you," he said suddenly.

Kai stopped walking, all signs of irritation lost as he looked up at Hiei with wide eyes.

"What?"

"I didn't tell Mukuro about you because of my own reasons. It had nothing to do with you."

"…Botan said the same thing," Kai mentioned quietly.

"It's the truth," Hiei asserted, grateful to Botan for her support even when she was probably just as upset with him.

"Did you keep it a secret because you're a private person and you like to keep things to yourself?"

He supposed that was an accurate observation, so he simply nodded. But the truth was far more complex than that.

He didn't tell anyone about Mukuro because their relationship was not based on the traditional sentiments that the others believed in. It was unconventional and unorthodox and the others couldn't possibly understand. He simply didn't feel the need to make it known. It wasn't as though he and Mukuro were settling down soon anyway. He thought he had time, but apparently he was becoming just as absentminded as Botan, because he failed to realize just how close Koenma's wedding really was.

He hadn't told Mukuro about Kai because he was waiting for the opportunity to do so in person, rather then over the phone, through text or via email. He should have told her when she surprised him earlier, but it didn't feel right. He would tell her the truth when the time came, on his own terms.

He returned his attentions to Kai.

"Just know that it had nothing to do with you."

"…Do you think she'll be mad when she finds out?"

"She might be," he confessed.

"I'm sorry."

Hiei frowned down at him.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I don't know," Kai admitted. "It just felt like the right thing to say."

"You shouldn't apologize so easily and without discretion," Hiei scolded before looking away. "I'm not sorry that you're here and that won't change, no matter what may happen between Mukuro and I."

Kai smiled up at him in that shy and cautious way that he did whenever Hiei had been a little more open with him. It made Hiei feel more at ease, despite the tumultuous thoughts rolling around in his mind.

* * *

Botan's heart froze in her chest when she opened the door to see Hiei standing at Kai's side. She had tried so hard to be strong for Kai but all of that shattered when she took in the sight of the object of her affections. A wave of dejection washed over her again as she stared back at Hiei. She felt so stupid. She had been pining over him while he had someone all along. It was pathetic, really. And yet, she couldn't help but hope that it was all some horrid nightmare. But here he stood, plain as day and every bit as engaged as he was yesterday. She tore her gaze away, instead choosing to focus on Kai.

"I thought you were with Kuwabara and Yukina?" she questioned.

"They took me to see Hiei for a little while," Kai answered easily, looking up at Hiei with a smile.

Botan would have been pleased to see that the two were on better terms, but the uncertainty in her own heart clouded most of her thoughts.

"Oh," was all she managed to let out as Kai entered the apartment. He didn't wait for her to continue before waving at Hiei and disappearing into his room.

Botan brought her gaze to meet Hiei's, before looking away immediately. The air was off between them, as though the entire world was shifted in a way that she was unfamiliar with. She didn't know where the two of them stood now and she hated it.

Hiei stood at the door awkwardly, before lifting her bag and handing it off to her.

"You forgot your things," he said, ending the stifling silence between them.

"Thank you," she said mechanically, reaching out to reclaim the bag and ignoring the way that their fingers brushed together. She couldn't allow herself to be weak in front of him, so she pushed the feeling away. "Well, goodnight, Hiei."

Botan moved to close the door, but Hiei held it back.

"That's it?" he asked, raising an incredulous brow.

"What do you expect me to say?" she countered. Did he want her to ask him all about the engagement? Was she supposed to congratulate him? Inquire about wedding details? The thought made her sick to her stomach.

She didn't want to pretend that she was okay with any of this, but then he looked at her in that strange way that he did sometimes. His gaze softened and there was a flash of regret in his crimson eyes, before his gaze sharpened and the sentiment vanished.

"…Let me explain," he started; jaw tight with tension as he stared back at her.

Botan stared at him for a while, contemplating his request. She knew that it was a horrible idea, but when he stood there with determined look on his face, she found herself wavering. She nodded before stepping aside so that he could enter.

"This isn't the way that I planned for you to find out," Hiei said. "I didn't know that Mukuro was going to show up when she did."

"That doesn't make it any better," she reminded him.

"I know that," he gritted, shoulders tense and squared.

"And that doesn't change the fact that you've been lying to all of us this entire time."

"I wasn't lying-"

"-No, you just omitted the truth," she filled in.

"I don't expect you to understand," he said. "But it wasn't something I was ready to tell anyone else."

"…I thought we were friends," she admitted. "Or at the very least close enough for you to mention that you had a fiancée."

Hiei swallowed thickly and Botan continued.

"I thought you had changed, but you're still so closed off and guarded."

Hiei's gaze flickered between annoyance and irritation as his eyes narrowed. Yukina had warned him of the thing and he was beginning to get tired of hearing everyone tell him how to act or behave.

"I handled things wrong. Is that what you want to hear?" he snapped.

"I wanted you to be upfront and honest with me from the start – like I've always been with you!"

"You didn't tell me about Shishiwakamaru," he pointed out.

"What?" Botan exclaimed, deflating a bit before shaking her head. "That's completely different."

"The only reason I knew about him is because of Kai. But it wasn't my business to know. It was yours," Hiei reasoned. "And this is mine."

"It may be your business, but it directly affects Kai as well," Botan countered. "He had a right to know. We had a right to know."

"I was going to tell everyone eventually," Hiei said. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

She looked away, shaking her head in disapproval. She wished that this wasn't happening. She wished that they weren't having the conversation at all, but unfortunately they were.

"Botan," he started.

She took in a shaky breath, but didn't return her attention to him.

"Look at me," he urged.

She met his gaze slowly, hoping that she didn't look as hurt as she felt.

"I'm going to tell her," he stated. "Soon."

"Why haven't you done it yet?"

"Because she's already gone."

"She is?"

"Mukuro only stopped by because she had a break in her schedule, but she will return for Koenma's wedding," Hiei explained. "I'll tell her then. This isn't the type of news I should break over the phone."

"Alright, that's understandable," she agreed. Her arms were still crossed tightly over chest and she tried to lessen the intensity of her frown.

"You're still upset," he noted.

"Of course I am. You didn't think I would automatically be okay because you were strong-armed into telling your fiancée about your son, did you?" she accused.

Hiei's gaze narrowed and she could see the anger and frustration in his eyes.

"What do you want from me, woman?"

"I don't know!" she shouted in frustration. "I just… I just want to be alone right now."

"Fine by me."

Hiei stormed out, slamming the door behind him and stalking down the hallway.

Botan let out a shaky sigh. She was mad at Hiei, but she was even angrier with herself, for falling for him in the first place. She wiped the tears away and bit her lip as she watched the place where he once stood. If only she didn't have all of these useless feelings.

* * *

Yusuke took a sip of his beer before turning to face the rest of the gang in their booth. His day started off nice and normal, and then he had that run in with Botan and Kai. Kai did what he does best – unintentionally spilling the juicy details – only this was less juicy and more of a shock.

"Isn't it insane? Botan finds her secret kid and now we all find out that Hiei has a secret fiancée," Yusuke said, still not totally believing the words coming out of his own mouth.

The rest of the table made various sounds of agreement as he set his bottle down.

"I can't help but feel bad for Botan," Yukina muttered helplessly. Her brows were creased with worry as she looked down at the table.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed from her side.

"She's pretty upset," Shizuru revealed.

"And understandably so," Kurama commented.

Yusuke blinked, looking between his four friends in complete confusion.

"Am I missing something?" he asked.

Charcoal eyes met his in honest disbelief.

"You can't be that clueless, Urameshi."

"I find it funny that you're saying that, but go ahead, enlighten me," Yusuke encouraged with a wave of his hand.

"Botan likes Hiei," Kuwabara answered plainly, surely and as thought it was the most obvious fact in the world. "You know… romantically?"

Yusuke snorted, leaning back into the booth's backrest.

"No she doesn't."

"Yes she does," Kuwabara argued, gravely voice full of conviction.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Look, I've known Botan just as long as you and probably better, seeing as you've got Yukina on the brain 24/7 and can't see much else," Yusuke began. "Sure, she spends a lot of time with the guy, and she might get flustered when we tease her about him, and she stares at him with that taken look in her eye, and she was really upset when she met Mukuro-"

Yusuke broke off, eyes wide.

"Oh god, she really does have it bad for him."

"See?" Kuwabara said.

"Shit, why didn't I see it til now?" Yusuke wondered, dragging a hand down his face.

Shizuru patted his back patronizingly.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. It was only the most obvious outcome of the century," she said coolly.

He gave her a withering look.

"How long have you all known?"

"Way longer than you, that's for sure," Kuwabara mocked.

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"More importantly, does Hiei know?"

"It's Hiei," Shizuru began flatly. "Of course he doesn't."

Yusuke's brow furrowed as he processed all of this information. So Botan liked Hiei. Hiei had no clue. Hiei was engaged. The rest of the world had no clue. And Kai...

"You know, Kai was trying to hook those two up. The kid must be pretty upset too," Yusuke revealed, mouth twisted into a frown.

"He was?" Kuwabara asked, brows lifting as his eyes widened.

Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest triumphantly.

"Oho, I guess there are some things that the freakin' warrior of love doesn't even know."

"For your information, Kai asked me about love the other day. I thought he had his first crush, but he said it was for his friend," Kuwabara recalled.

"And by friend, he meant his parents," Kurama noted.

"Looks like it," Kuwabara agreed.

"He must have been especially upset when he learned the news," Yukina lamented.

"Did you know about it at all?" Yusuke asked, setting his sights on the smaller woman.

Yukina shook her head sadly.

"And you?" He turned to Kurama.

"Unfortunately not. It seems that none of us were privy to Hiei's engagement," Kurama answered. "And he kept it private because he knew that we wouldn't understand the fact that it is a loveless affair."

"So he's just marrying her for the sex?" Yusuke teased. "Must be good if that's the case."

"Yusuke," Shizuru warned.

He put his hands up in defense.

"Alright, alright. Not the time."

"Hiei respects her. They understand each other in a way that we cannot," Kurama explained.

"I don't really get it, but it is his life," Yusuke relented. "…Are we supposed to throw him an engagement party or something?"

"I doubt Hiei would appreciate that," Shizuru pointed out.

"True. Besides we've got enough wedding madness with Koenma's on the horizon," Yusuke noted.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed.

"Hopefully it will all go smoothly," Kurama tried.

Yusuke snorted.

"Let's recap, shall we? Hiei's got a secret son. Botan's got a secret crush. Kai's probably not done scheming to get the two of them together. And Mukuro knows next to nothing about any of this," Yusuke recounted. "But despite all that, I'm sure it'll be _swell_."

The others didn't look too pleased with his lighthearted teasing but he only shrugged it off. The next few days were sure to be entertaining, to say the very least.

* * *

The reactions / reviews for the last chapter were so entertaining to read! Everybody pretty much knew that Hiei had /someone/ romantic waiting in the wings, but nobody knew when the mystery lady would show. I was glad that I could surprise you guys a bit in that aspect.

In any case, this chapter was cut short because it was giving me lots of grief and I didn't feel like working on it any more for today. So, hopefully I'll be able to get it together and post the rest within a decent timeframe!

As always, thank you for the support for this story. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

Surprise update! Here is the rest of what was supposed to be Chapter 14. Be sure you've checked out 14 before reading this one.

* * *

"Guess who?" Koenma grinned at the door.

Botan let out an exclamation of joy and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around her best friend as she laughed.

"Koenma, it's so good to see you again!" she breathed out. And she meant it wholeheartedly. He always brought up her mood and brightened her spirits.

"Likewise," he replied, returning the hug.

"What's going on?" Kai asked, coming into the living room to see what all the commotion was about. He recognized Koenma instantly, having had a few video chats with him. His eyes went wide as he watched them pull apart, suddenly turning a little bit shyer.

"Kai, meet my oldest and dearest friend, Koenma," Botan announced proudly. "And Koenma, I'm pleased to finally and officially introduce you to my dear son, Kai."

"Hey there, Kai," Koenma greeted, stepping inside of the apartment and holding out a hand. His smile was warm and inviting, brown eyes lit up affectionately as he stared down at the small boy.

Kai stared back at him for a few moments before accepting the handshake.

"Hi," he responded quietly.

"It's good to finally meet you in person," Koenma said. "Gotta say, you really are the perfect mix of Hiei and Botan. It's uncanny."

Kai ducked his head in embarrassment and Botan smiled affectionately.

"Why don't you boys get nice and comfy while I prepare us some snacks?" she suggested.

"Sure," Kai said as he led Koenma to one of the couches.

She listened as Koenma asked Kai a slew of questions to pull him out of his shell and smiled as she heard the boy getting more animated and relaxed. It had been a while since she felt this good and she wanted to hold onto that feeling. No matter how badly she was feeling about Hiei, she could never rightfully stay upset when Koenma was around. Besides, his wedding was right around the corner and this was no time to be feeling sorry and sad for herself.

When she returned to the living room, Kai and Koenma were laughing about something or the other. She set the tray of drinks and snacks down and joined the two of them on the couch, taking a seat on Kai's free side. The three quickly settled into a comfortable time of chatting, reminiscing and catching up. Kai was especially interested in stories of their past and Botan and Koenma were more than happy to tell them.

"Did you really try to fly on a broomstick when you were little?" he asked.

"Koenma!" Botan whined, flushing at the embarrassing memory. "You promised you would never tell anyone about that!"

"Kai wrangled it out of me," Koenma explained, motioning over to her son, who was too busy laughing to hear anything else.

"Well, did you know that Koenma still used a pacifier up until age five?" Botan recalled with a mischievous grin. "I wonder what Ayame would think about that?"

Kai let out a snort at that, turning his attentions to Koenma.

"Did you really?" he asked incredulously.

Koenma looked away, refusing to answer as he drew his mouth into a tight line.

Kai burst into peals of laughter upon seeing the older man's put off expression and Botan stifled a few chuckles herself.

"Glad you could laugh at my expense, little buddy," Koenma huffed, tossing Kai a sour frown.

"Don't worry, Koenma, we can keep a secret," Kai promised.

"Yes, your precious Ayame will never find out," Botan soothed mockingly.

"If Kai's anything like you, I highly doubt that," Koenma countered.

"Hey! I'm getting better at keeping things to myself," Kai defended, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He really is," Botan supported, ignoring the fact that he had just spilled the beans about Mukuro a few short days ago.

"Then maybe you should share some tips with your mother," Koenma suggested, bringing his hand up in a faux whisper as he leaned closer to Kai. "She can't keep any secrets."

"Hey, I resent that!" Botan protested.

"You almost told Ayame that I had a ring before I even had a chance to propose!"

"Almost being the keyword. I kept it a secret until the end, didn't I?"

"Just barely."

"Speaking of, how is the wedding planning going?" Botan asked. "Do you or Ayame need any help?"

"To tell you the truth, my father's people are handling most of it. I've just been trying to make sure that Ayame's input gets taken into account, but she's been complacent with everything."

"That sounds like her," Botan nodded. "I think all that matters to her is the fact that you two are actually getting married."

Koenma smiled upon hearing that.

"Oh, that reminds me," he started, turning to Kai with a serious look on his face. "I realize that you might be a little too old for something this simple, but I was wondering if you would be the ring bearer."

Botan's face fell into an expression of open-mouthed shock. Although Kai and Koenma seemed to have hit it off, she hardly expected for Koenma to ask Kai to be a part of the ceremony. Then again, he always was extremely inviting and good-natured, so she shouldn't have been so shocked by the question. It warmed her heart to think that Kai would be a part of this special occasion.

"The ring what?" Kai asked, brow raised in confusion as he looked between the two of them.

"The ring bearer," Koenma repeated. "You know, the person who walks the rings down the aisle?" Koenma clarified.

"I've never been to any weddings before," Kai admitted, gaze cast downward in a show of self-conscious embarrassment. "That's why I didn't know."

"Well, now I feel extra special. I didn't realize that mine was the first one you'll be attending."

Kai seemed to be pleased with that, lips quirking upward in response.

"So, how about it? Do you think you're up for the job?" Koenma asked again.

Kai looked over at Botan unsurely and she smiled back at him.

"It's completely up to you sweetheart," she told him.

Kai's brows furrowed as he contemplated Koenma's request. For such a young boy, he sure did have his serious moments. Eventually, he lifted his gaze to meet Koenma's and gave him a determined nod.

"Okay, I'll do it," he decided.

"You'll be the best ring bearer in history," Botan encouraged, clapping her hands together. "And the most handsome, to boot."

"He sure will," Koenma agreed, ruffling Kai's hair affectionately.

Botan smiled at the exchange. It was a bit unreal seeing Koenma and Kai interacting, seeing as Koenma was her oldest and dearest friend. He was the closest thing she had to family for years and it was pretty incredible for the two of them to finally meet each other face to face. Her thoughts were cut short when Kai hopped off of the couch and stood in front of them.

"You guys should catch up… I'm gonna go read in my room for a little while," Kai offered.

Botan had the sneaking suspicion that he was planning to tinker away on her laptop and learn all he could about weddings and ring bearers. It was par the course for him to research everything he didn't know and with the added pressure of being the ring bearer, he was sure to want to do the job properly.

"Are you sure?" Botan asked. "We're more than happy to chat with you."

He nodded.

"It's okay. I've got stuff to do."

She and Koenma watched as he picked up her laptop and retired to his room, both wearing soft smiles on their faces.

"It's really heartwarming to see just how close you two are," Koenma noted. "You've made a great home for him here, Botan."

"Thank you," she replied. She had always admired and valued Koenma's opinion, so it meant a lot to hear that from him. "It wasn't easy, but it was completely worth it."

Koenma nodded.

"I can tell," he said, before leaning back into the couch and letting out a sound of contentment. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye to ask, "So, how are the others?"

"Same as they were when you left them," Botan reported. "Yusuke's dominating the food cart business and Kuwabara continues to be one of the best teachers at his school. Yukina's working hard as a nurse and Shizuru's taking on all of the hard cases. Oh, and Kurama just got featured in another publication."

"That's good to hear. How about Hiei?"

"He's adjusted to the whole fatherhood thing very well, actually."

"But?"

"There is no but," Botan denied.

"There's definitely a but," Koenma decided. "You might as well tell me now, you know I'll get it out of you somehow."

He was right, she thought sourly.

"Did you know about Hiei and Mukuro?" she asked.

"Know what?"

"That they were engaged?"

Koenma looked momentarily shocked, eyes wide as the realization sunk in. He eventually let out a slow nod, coming to terms with the news as though it was a possible and conceivable outcome.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that those two ended up together," he reasoned.

"How so?" Botan asked.

"They're kindred souls, twin flames so to speak," Koenma explained. "Mukuro hasn't had it easy and neither has Hiei, so I can see how they found their way to each other."

Botan's expression fell, though she tried to keep it neutral. It was hard to do so when her heart sunk with each and every word that Koenma spoke.

"They're cut from the same cloth, and they understand each other better than most could ever hope to," Koenma finished.

"I see…"

"I'm sorry, Botan."

She blinked, looking back up at Koenma. There was sympathy housed in his brown eyes and Botan found it hard to look at him when he was able to see through her so easily.

"There's no need to be sorry," she lied, shaking her head. "I'm okay. It's not as if I…"

"As if you loved him?" Koenma filled in.

"…Was I that obvious?"

"You're my best friend. I know you well enough. Besides, raising a child with him and going through this entire experience together would bring you two closer. I just hoped that it wouldn't end like this."

Botan let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"…What should I do?" she questioned.

"What do you want to do?"

"I just don't want to feel like this anymore," she admitted, voice just barely above a whisper.

Koenma put a hand on her shoulder and she felt all her walls falling down as the heartache of an unrequited love overtook her.

"I didn't want to fall for him, Koenma, but it just happened. We fought like cats and dogs and he was the absolute worst with Kai, but then, over time he changed. Or maybe he simply let his guard down around us. And before I knew it, I had fallen for him."

Botan blinked back her tears before continuing.

"I even tried dating someone else. Shishiwakamaru to be exact."

"Shishiwakamaru?!" Koenma bit out disbelievingly.

"It didn't work out, obviously. I kept comparing him to Hiei and wondering how different things would be if Hiei were there instead of him. It's silly really, I had a perfectly decent guy-"

"I wouldn't call him perfectly decent-"

"But my heart wouldn't let go of the one person that I couldn't have."

Koenma looked at her sympathetically.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You can't help how you feel in cases like these. Look at how long it took for me and Ayame."

"Yeah, but you chose the right person to love in the end; someone who could and would return your feelings. I had to go and choose the most unavailable man on the planet…" her voice broke off.

"It's okay," he comforted as he squeezed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be alright."

Botan didn't know how she ended up crying on Koenma's shoulders, but once she had started, the tears didn't want to stop. He rubbed a hand on her back until she eventually pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed.

"For what?"

"You're here for your wedding and I'm unloading my insignificant problems on you."

"Stop that, how many times have I vented to you about Ayame not giving me the light of day?" he reminded her.

"True, I suppose you did owe me one," she said, a genuine smile on her face as she recalled those days. She sniffled once more and took a deep breath as she fixed her expression into a more resolute one. "In any case, from here on out, it's all about you."

"You don't have to force yourself for my sake."

Botan shook her head.

"I'm done wallowing," she declared. "There are much more important things to put my energy into now."

"That a girl."

"Like the fact that my best friend didn't make me his best man."

"It's called best _man_ for a reason, Botan," Koenma pointed out.

"So? People do unconventional things all the time."

"Not in my family."

"Oh, right," she said, remembering how stuffy and strict Enma was. "Fine, you're off the hook for that one. But one more strike and you're out, mister."

"Duly noted," he replied with a smirk.

It was then that Kai chose to pop his head back into the living room, all dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved button down shirt. She tilted her head in confusion, watching as the boy fastened the last button on his shirt.

"And where do you think you're headed off to, mister?" Botan asked amusedly.

"Hiei's taking me to get a suit for the wedding, remember?" Kai answered.

"Oh, that's right. I completely forgot."

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door. Kai ran to the answer it and Botan steeled herself, preparing to face Hiei without showing any signs of her heartbreak.

* * *

Hiei stood outside of Botan's apartment door. The last time he was here, their conversation turned into an argument and he could not exactly fault either of them for that. They were both frustrated and the situation was a precarious one for either side. However, aside from Botan's anger, there was a hue of sadness enshrouding her that Hiei did not know what to do with. He was not sure where it stemmed from or what caused it, but it was more than obvious that it was because of him.

He had determined to do better this time and he could do better. He wasn't the impulsive person he used to be; he could control his words, he could temper his frustration. But it always seemed harder around Botan. She had a mysterious way of slipping past his guard and bringing his emotions to the surface, but if he was careful, he could avoid another blowout from happening.

Steeling himself, he raised a fist and knocked on the door. Seconds later, Kai greeted him with a bright grin and a flash of teeth. Hiei gave a slight nod towards Kai before catching sight of Botan and Koenma on the couch.

Koenma twisted around from his position on the couch to acknowledge him, but Botan barely looked his way.

"Hiei, it's good to see you," the brunet greeted.

Hiei gave an obligator nod of his head in response, before looking away with a frown. Botan was seated far too close to Koenma for his liking. Did the woman not know the meaning of the term engaged? The man was getting married three days from now. Best friend or not, there should have been some boundaries between them.

He reset his expression into one of careful indifference and pushed the thought aside. He didn't want to know just how close those two were. It wasn't his business.

"Are you ready?" he asked Kai.

Kai slipped on his blue band from the arcade and nodded.

"Yup!"

Hiei turned to leave and then paused. If he invited the woman, then he would have to bring Koenma along as well. It wasn't worth it, but he nudged Kai regardless.

"Hm?"

Hiei flicked his eyes over towards Botan and he appreciated the fact that Kai immediately understood what he wanted.

"Do you and Koenma wanna come, too?" Kai asked.

Koenma raised a brow at Botan and she cast her gaze on Kai. Once again, she stubbornly refused to look directly at him.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think we're fine here," she declined. "You two have fun."

Hiei let Kai exit the apartment first, before closing the door behind him. The woman was avoiding him and he supposed it was because she was still upset with him. Her eyes appeared to be red-rimmed as well, as though she had been crying. He had the sinking feeling that it was because of him, but he couldn't be sure. He looked down at Kai before deciding to come out with it.

"Did something happen?" Hiei asked upon stepping out onto the sidewalk with Kai.

Kai halted in his steps, turning to look up at Hiei confusedly.

"Huh?"

"With Botan," Hiei clarified. "She's acting stranger than usual."

"Hm… Koenma just came over and they were talking," Kai filled in. "But something did happen the night you dropped me home and got into a fight with Botan."

Hiei frowned; he already knew that he was not going to like what Kai was about to say.

"What do you mean?"

"Botan cried after you left. She thought I didn't notice, but I did."

Hiei's frown deepened. Botan was the one who had gotten all testy with him. It made no sense. Then again, Hiei rarely understood the woman and the way that her mind worked. It didn't settle well in his mind to know that this whole thing bothered her so much that she would shed tears over it.

"You should apologize," Kai advised.

"I didn't do anything."

"You lied to her. Friends don't do that."

"I didn't lie. I omitted the truth," Hiei replied, pulling out his keys to unlock the car.

"Still…" Kai mumbled as he climbed into the backseat. "It wasn't very nice."

Hiei ignored the pit that welled in his gut as he started the car and put his seatbelt on. He couldn't stand the sight of a woman in tears and he supposed it was something he carried with him from his childhood because of the tumultuous relationship between his mother and Ryu.

His phone vibrated, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he was surprised to see the text message from Botan.

 _I'm sorry if I overreacted the other night. Thank you again for taking Kai to get his suit._

He frowned at her apology. It was entirely unnecessary.

"Did you talk her into apologizing too?" Hiei asked, angling his phone so that Kai could catch a glimpse of the message.

The boy's eyes widened innocently and he looked away.

"Kai."

He turned to face Hiei slowly with a sheepish look.

"I might have said something…"

"You shouldn't have."

"…But I don't like it when you two fight," he answered lowly, looking down as he spoke. "I wish you wouldn't."

The boy's entire expression fell with his admittance and Hiei felt a pang of regret. He remembered the few times he had seen his mother and Ryu arguing before the divorce. Hiei could understand where Kai was coming from, but it still didn't change the fact that his son was every bit as meddling as his mother.

"You weren't supposed to hear any of that," Hiei told him.

 _But he did. And it was Hiei's fault entirely._

Hiei shook the thought out of his head and pulled up the directions for Suzuka's Boutique. Koenma had recommended it to them months ago and Hiei ended up purchasing his own suit from the boutique. Suzuka was a bit insufferable, but his work was high quality, so Hiei decided that it was worth it to bring Kai there.

Although the boutique was only a twenty-five minute drive away, it felt like an eternity when Kai insisted that they play that annoying pop station that he loved so much. Hiei only allowed it because he wanted to take Kai's mind off the many things that could have upset him. When they pulled up in front of the store, Hiei was ashamed to admit that the last song was stuck in his head. He might have slammed his car door louder than necessary, before joining Kai on the sidewalk.

"Botan gave me money for the suit. Do you think this is enough?" he asked, raising a fist full of bills.

"Don't worry about that," Hiei ordered. "I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure?" Kai asked uncertainly.

"Positive."

"Okay… if you say so," Kai relented, pocketing the money.

As they entered the shop, Suzuka immediately greeted them. He had toned down his look and his act considerably over the years, the theatrics and dramatic flair absent. His blonde hair remained swept upwards, but his face was devoid of any of the strange makeup he used to wear. Green eyes greeted them almost disinterestedly until they landed on Kai. He had to do a double take as he stared at the boy, his face morphing into an expression of shock.

"I thought Shishi was kidding when he said you had a kid, but looking at him, it's hard to deny it," Suzuka said.

Hiei had almost forgotten. Suzuka and Shishiwakamaru ran in the same circles in college and they must have stayed that way post-graduation. Come to think of it, Hiei wouldn't be surprised if they were invited to the wedding, too. It seemed like a big affair and many people would be there anyway – what were a few more nuisances.

"Hn."

"I'm Kai," Kai greeted politely.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the beautiful Suzuka."

"The beautiful Suzuka?" Kai echoed in confusion.

"It's a silly, self-proclaimed title," Hiei mentioned. "He's just as vain as Shishiwakamaru and twice as proud."

"You say that, and yet here you are, requesting my services," Suzuka reminded him.

"Koenma insisted we come here," Hiei replied.

"Because I'm simply the best," he said with a dramatic flourish of his hand.

Hiei rolled his eyes as Kai snorted behind his hand.

"In any case, I'm a very busy man and I don't have all day to dispute just how impressive my skills are. I'll let my work do the talking for me," he stated, before looking down at Kai. "Do you have any preferences?"

"Koenma asked me to be the ring bearer… do I have to wear anything special?" he asked.

This was news to Hiei, but he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Botan and Koenma were best friends since childhood and Kai was her son.

"You should probably match the rest of the groomsmen then," Suzuka noted as he walked off.

There was a wide array of outfits and choices and Hiei did not really have the patience or the will to sift through clothes. It was a good thing that Suzuka insisted on doing everything for his customers, and had pulled out a simple outfit for Kai. After a few moments, Kai stepped outside of the changing booth decked out in a simple black suit, white shirt and black bowtie.

"Wow, I never wore anything this fancy before," Kai said, looking somewhat out of his element.

"You look great, kid," Suzuka encouraged. "I'll just need to make a few alterations to the sleeve length and the waist, but that shouldn't take too long."

Hiei nodded.

"There's some great restaurants in the area. I should be finished by the time you two are done."

Hiei motioned for Kai to follow him and they settled for a noodle shop a short walk away. Kai chattered on endlessly about anything and everything, and if it were anybody else, it would have upset him, but Kai was always the exception. The heaviness in his chest subsided somewhat every time the boy smiled at him or told him another animated story.

An hour later, they returned to the boutique, where Suzuka was waiting for them. Kai tried his suit on one last time and, true to Suzuka's reputation, it fit the boy perfectly.

"It looks great," Kai said to Suzuka as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Of course it does. It was made by me after all," he replied, a look of pride in his green eyes. "And it really does looks great on you."

Kai looked up at Hiei for approval and he nodded.

"It does," Hiei agreed.

Kai's smile extended into a full-fledged grin as he returned to the changing room. He appeared shortly after, wearing his normal clothes but still beaming. Hiei ignored the lightness in his chest as he paid for the suit, along with a pair of dress shoes for Kai.

"Thank you Suzuka," Kai said politely.

"You're welcome, kid," Suzuka replied from behind the counter. "See you at the wedding."

Kai waved as they exited the store and remained in a good mood the entire ride home. When they made it back to Botan's apartment, Koenma was gone and Botan was the one who greeted them at the door.

"Did things go well with Suzuka?" she asked.

"Yeah, he got me the coolest suit!" Kai grinned.

"He is the best in his field," Botan replied. "Even if he is a little self-absorbed."

"Oh yeah," Kai said, pulling the money from his pockets. "Hiei paid for everything."

Botan finally looked over at Hiei.

"You should hang your suit up," Hiei directed, before Botan could say another word.

"Okay," Kai nodded. "Thanks again for the suit, Hiei!"

Kai hurried off to his room, leaving the two to the silence that seemed to encompass them lately.

"You didn't have to-" Botan started.

Hiei shook his head.

"It was nothing."

Silence filled the space between them again. The hallway was dimly lit, one of the bulbs flickering in the corner threatening to go out entirely. He could hear that Kai had turned the television on and was laughing at something or the other, but the only thing that Hiei was concerned with right now was the suspiciously silent woman standing before him.

Botan rubbed at her arm awkwardly, standing before him as if she didn't know what to say around him. As if they hadn't shared months of co-parenting together, as if they hadn't gotten through handfuls of arguments, teasing and understandings. As if the last few months had never happened. He suddenly felt the rift between them and he didn't like it.

His mind drifted to late nights watching television together, the feeling of being shoulder to shoulder, the sound of Botan's laughter, the way her eyes brightened when she smiled at him and the mischief that sparkled in her eyes when she teased him. It was a far cry from the quiet and diluted woman standing before him.

He didn't want things to change between them. Not like this. So he took the first step.

"You didn't have to apologize," he began.

Botan shrugged self-consciously, looking down at the floor rather than at him.

"I felt like I should have."

She and the boy seemed to suffer from the same ailment, apparently. Apologizing when the blame didn't lie on them.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It was my blame to shoulder," he said.

This prompted a glance from Botan, amethyst eyes wide in surprise as she took in the gravity of his words.

"I should have told you about Mukuro sooner," Hiei confessed evenly. "I owed you that much."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

The hint of sadness still lingered in her eyes, but her lips quirked upwards, just slightly so, and the tension between them lessened. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

* * *

A few days later, Botan, Shizuru and Yukina were seated around her laptop. It started off like any normal girl's night in. Kai was holed up in his room, hoping to avoid all sorts of girl-talk and romance movies, while they chatted about small topics. One minute they were discussing Koenma's wedding and the next, they were on Botan's laptop, searching for any information hey could find on Mukuro.

"It feels kind of sneaky … Googling Mukuro when we could have just asked Hiei all of these questions ourselves," Botan muttered from her position on Shizuru's left.

"I doubt Hiei would be one for answering questions, anyway," Shizuru said, unfazed by it all as she continued to browse through the search results.

"That's true," Botan acknowledged.

The three women returned their attentions to the laptop screen, silent as they read through an article dedicated to Mukuro.

"Wow, she's got a pretty impressive resume," Shizuru noted.

"She's highly educated and even speaks three languages," Botan said.

"And she's gotten many awards and acclaims as well," Yukina added.

Botan slid her glasses off of her face. The more she read about Mukuro's accomplishments, the more inadequate she felt. She had previously thought that there might be something between she and Hiei. All those lingering looks, the words that were left unsaid and the understandings that had passed between them should have amounted to _something_. But she was sorely mistaken. There was no way that Hiei would have even consider her when he had someone like Mukuro by his side.

"She's gorgeous, smart, mature and successful," Botan listed off with a resigned sigh. "It's no wonder why Hiei is in love with her."

Yukina turned away from the laptop to give Botan a hesitant look.

"What is it?" Botan asked, brow crinkling in confusion.

"My brother and Mukuro… They aren't what you think," Yukina revealed somewhat cryptically.

"Huh?" Botan blinked.

"He didn't tell you?" Shizuru asked, raising a brow.

"Well, we haven't really talked much ever since I learned about Mukuro. To tell you the truth, I've sort of been avoiding him," Botan admitted.

"That's understandable," Shizuru empathized. "I haven't spoken to him much, either. The only reason I know all of this is because he told Kurama."

"Told Kurama what exactly?"

"That his relationship with Mukuro is one built on mutual understanding and respect – not love," Shizuru informed.

Botan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You mean… they aren't actually in love with each other?"

"Not according to him," Shizuru informed.

"But why would they get married?" Botan asked.

"It's convenient," Yukina recited. "They work well together."

"That's just so emotionless," she said, frowning deeply as stared back at the picture of Mukuro on the screen.

"It's kind of par the course for Hiei, though," Shizuru noted.

"I suppose so…" Botan agreed. She remembered the way he talked to her about love that night at the bar. He seemed so convinced that it wasn't something he could have and it saddened her. "But this just makes me feel so unhappy for him."

"Don't be. You know he hates it when people pity him," Shizuru reminded her.

"It's not pity, it's more… regret. I'm sad that he can't see that he can and should have it all."

"I tried to tell him the same thing, but he wouldn't listen," Yukina frowned.

Botan shook her head woefully.

"I thought that they loved each other. I can't believe that-"

She stopped talking when Kai entered the living area. He must have noticed the sudden change in atmosphere, because he turned to look at them with a bewildered look.

"What?" Kai asked, as all three pairs of eyes landed on him.

"Um, nothing," Botan dismissed.

"I already know all about Hiei and Mukuro, so it's okay," Kai stated casually as he continued towards the kitchen.

The three girls exchanged confused looks as they waited for Kai to return from. He stepped out with a water bottle in his hand and not a care in the world.

"What exactly is it that you know all about?" Botan questioned.

"That Hiei doesn't love Mukuro," he replied easily.

"How on earth did you find out about that?" she asked.

"I asked him about it," Kai answered.

"Why?"

"I was curious." Kai shrugged. "Besides, if he isn't in love with Mukuro, then he still has a chance with you."

Her eyes widened even more – if possible – as she croaked out a choked, "What?"

"Oops." Kai's face flushed as he looked away guiltily.

"Kai…" Botan ground out warningly as she stood up from her chair.

"I'm gonna go now," he said, backing away slowly.

"Wait right there mister," Botan ordered, causing the boy to freeze in his tracks.

He gulped and looked over at Shizuru and Yukina for help, but the two women did not offer him any immunity.

"Explain yourself," Botan demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she used her patented mother voice.

"I was just… I thought…" he stammered nervously.

"Sometime today," Botan instructed firmly.

"I was trying to get you and Hiei together," he blurted out finally.

Botan's expression fell as she stared back at Kai. She didn't know if she should be flattered or outraged, but at the moment she was too stunned to feel much of anything else.

"You… you were trying to pair us up?" Botan repeated incredulously. She looked over at the others for help, but Yukina only smiled at Kai while Shizuru shook her head fondly. Botan's mouth hung open as she pointed a finger at them. "Did you both know about this?"

"We did," Yukina admitted.

"Yusuke and Kurama caught on to Kai's plan and mentioned it us," Shizuru added.

"Kazuma thought it was so endearing and sweet," Yukina revealed. "And so did I."

Kai's blush deepened as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Botan blinked, slowly processing all of this new information. So, Hiei and Mukuro weren't really in love, but they were serious about their engagement because they held a level of respect and understanding with each other. Meanwhile, Kai had been plotting to set her up with Hiei all along. And everyone seemed to know all of these things but her. Great. Just peachy.

"Why am I always the one left in the dark?" Botan complained.

"It's because you're a bit on the oblivious side. But we all love you for it anyway," Shizuru said unhelpfully.

Botan shot the brunette a withering look before turning to Kai.

"Is that why you would always ask me all those questions about Hiei?" she wondered.

"Yup."

"And why you kept insisting we invite him over all the time?"

"Yup."

"And why you called Hiei over when I had that date with Shishi?"

"Yup."

"The kid's a regular meddling kitten. If there was any question as to whether or not you two really are related, there you have it," Shizuru inserted.

The corners of Botan's mouth lifted upwards, in spite of herself. It was true after all. She had often meddled in her friends' love lives and now it looked as though karma had finally reigned upon her. She couldn't truly be angry though, not when Kai's intentions were pure and honest.

"I didn't mean any harm in it," Kai started. "I just thought that you guys would be good together. And… um… you like him, don't you?"

"What?" Botan's heart thudded loudly in her chest. If her own, innocent, naïve son could figure out that she had feelings for Hiei, then there was nothing stopping the object of her affections from figuring it out as well.

"You were sad when you met Mukuro. It's because you like Hiei, right?" Kai reasoned hopefully.

"I…" Botan was at a complete loss for words, which was ironic, considering she was the resident chatterbox.

"She was upset that he didn't tell her the truth. She thought that they were better friends than that," Shizuru explained.

"Yes, that's simply all there was to it," Botan confirmed, feeling a little guilty about lying to him.

"Alright," Kai said disappointedly.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Botan apologized.

"Huh?" Kai's brow crinkled in confusion.

"I'm sorry that you don't have both parents around all the time, like a normal family."

"No… I didn't mean…" Kai shook his head. "I love it here, with you."

Botan's expression softened into a smile.

"I'm glad that you do."

He grinned back at her in that carefree way that he pulled off so easily now that his guard was gone and her heart filled with gratitude. No matter how hurt she was over Hiei, nothing compared to the joy that Kai brought her. She would go through a thousand more heartaches if it meant that she could keep Kai by her side, because he was what mattered most.

* * *

The night before the wedding, Hiei was roped into joining everyone at the bar. Koenma left early, with good reason, but the usual suspects remained. It was Hiei's understanding that Kai was with Botan's other friend, Hinageshi, so the bluette was free to stay as long as she liked.

Hiei ignored another one of Kuwabara's tipsy ramblings to Yukina as he crossed his arms over his chest. Botan was seated directly across from him and greeted him cheerfully enough, but something was off. There was still a rift between them and Hiei was unsure of how to cross it.

"I told ya he'd be here." Haru's voice pulled Hiei out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see Haru and Mukuro standing beside their booth.

"I didn't realize that Hiei was such a social butterfly," Mukuro joked dryly.

The others laughed and Hiei should have been shooting them all death glares, but instead he found himself noticing the way that Botan's mirth failed to reach her eyes.

"Yeah, well, Hiei's done well for himself while he's been out here," Haru informed. "I'd say he was more of a social caterpillar for now."

Hiei glared at Haru, but Yusuke interrupted before he could get a response out.

"…Well, aren't you gonna introduce us, Hiei?" he asked, tapping his fingers impatiently against the table. "I mean, we are your _only_ friends after all. Might as well get it over with in one go."

Hiei rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"This is Mukuro," he said bluntly. "My fiancée."

"Wow, that was a horrible introduction," Haru commented with a tsk. "That's Botan, Yusuke, Shizuru, Kurama, Kuwabara and-"

"Yukina," Mukuro finished knowingly. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's great to finally meet you, too," Yukina replied honestly. She smiled at her and Mukuro nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Hiei had no doubts that the two would get along, but it was another feeling entirely to have them both in the same room. It made his relationship with Mukuro – his engagement to her – all the more real.

He didn't have time to wonder about the slightly panickedfeeling, because Botan stood up and clapped her hands together. There was a forced grin on her face as she regarded everyone in the booth.

"Well, this calls for another round!" she announced. "I'll go get it."

Crimson eyes trailed after her as she shuffled out of the booth and walked towards the bar to get Chuu's attention.

"Isn't that the same woman that was at your apartment before?" Mukuro inquired. "The writer?"

Hiei dragged his gaze away from Botan to meet Mukuro's blue eyes.

"It is."

"I didn't realize that you two were friends," she observed.

He felt a sense of dread at being caught in a lie, but Haru clapped a hand over his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's cause Hiei never admits that he has friends to begin with," Haru covered.

Mukuro seemed satisfied with that answer, much to everyone's relief.

"I thought we were meeting at the wedding?" Hiei asked her lowly.

"That was the plan until Haru insisted we stop here before my next meeting. I hardly believed his claims that you frequented the bar every night with a group as lively as this one, but I stand corrected."

"Not every night," Hiei amended, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked away. "And not by my choice."

Mukuro's mouth quirked upwards wryly, but then her attention seemed to be elsewhere. Hiei followed her line of sight to his phone. It was lit up with a notification, the picture of Kai as his wallpaper clear for everyone to see. He picked his cell up quickly and put it in his pocket. Mukuro didn't say a word about it and he kept his expression neutral as Botan returned with the drinks.

As she passed them out, Haru pulled up two extra chairs for himself and Mukuro. They all took their seats as Yusuke raised his glass.

"To Koenma and Ayame. And to Hiei and Mukuro," Yusuke cheered.

They all took a drink and Botan set her glass down, pretending to be interested in the woodwork on the table as the conversation turned to himself and Mukuro.

"So, how did you two meet?" Kuwabara asked curiously.

"Work," Haru filled in. "They got along almost immediately, which is a lot to say, considering their personalities."

Hiei growled at that and Mukuro's expression did not change.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. It was three years ago – four years in September – and the three of us just happened to be part of the same group," Haru answered. "Those were the good old days."

"So, if you guys met almost four years ago, how long has shorty been dating Mukuro?" Kuwabara followed up.

"Two and a half years," Haru answered again.

"That's a long time to put up with Hiei," Kuwabara joked.

"You're telling me," Haru returned. "But this pretty lady isn't exactly easy to deal with either. I remember quite a few disagreements between these two before they learned to work together. And then, well, the rest is history."

"Haru seems to be quite the mouthpiece tonight," Kurama noted, amusement in his emerald eyes.

"Those two hardly talk, unless they're ordering somebody around," Haru explained. "Somebody's gotta do it."

Yusuke laughed at that.

"On the contrary, Haru enjoys talking," Mukuro divulged. "It would be cruel of me to stop him from doing the one thing excels at."

Haru winced, placing a hand over his heart.

"Ouch, that was harsh."

Mukuro only smirked in response.

The conversation continued to go in that fashion, with the others asking questions and either Haru or Mukuro replying. Both Botan and Hiei remained silent for a majority of it, until Botan checked her watch.

"Well, I had better go now," Botan announced.

"Already?" Haru asked with a pout.

"I've got to get back to Kai," she explained. "I'm sure Hina has things to do as well. I told her I would only be out for a short while."

"Alright," he relented.

"It was a pleasure meeting you again, Mukuro," Botan said politely, giving her a curt smile.

"Likewise," Mukuro responded.

"See you all tomorrow!" Botan waved.

Haru stood up so that she could get out of the booth and Hiei watched her leave almost regretfully. That seemed to be all he could do lately; watch her go from a distance. He was tired of this useless feeling, so he set his sights on Mukuro determinedly. It was now or never. She needed to know the truth and he was ready to bare it all on the line.

"We need to talk," he urged lowly. "Alone."

"Is this a conversation that can occur in the next two minutes?" Mukuro asked.

"No," he replied. "This is more important than that."

"Although Haru dragged me here, we are supposed to be on the other side of town meeting with the Enki Associates," she reminded Hiei. "Can it wait?"

Hiei knew that that was an important deal and she couldn't afford to be late or distracted. Work was high on her list of priorities and he did not want to be the cause of a blemish on her untarnished record. He had already jeopardized their relationship; he could not risk doing the same with her career.

"Fine. After the wedding."

She nodded in agreement.

"It was nice meeting you all," Mukuro said, casting her gaze on the rest of the party.

The others made varied sounds of agreement and gave her their regards she stood up from the booth. She gave Hiei one last look, before walking away and exiting through the front door. Strangely enough, his chest didn't tighten the way it did when he watched Botan go.

* * *

And that's it for this chapter. The H/B interaction was pretty sparse between this and the last chapter, but that was to be expected. Next chapter will be the wedding. Hope you're all looking forward to it, cause I sure am! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Check out the new cover art by Line Sagittarius! I'm not ashamed to say that I squealed when I saw it. Thanks to her and LonelyDreamer 7 for creating such beautiful works for this fic!

* * *

"Don't you look handsome," Botan cooed as she straightened Kai's bowtie.

Kai blushed, eyes dropping to the floor shyly. He had insisted on gelling his hair back in a similar fashion to Yusuke's, so Botan helped him transform his usually unruly look into a more slicked back style. He was all decked out from head to toe and Botan couldn't help but snap a few pictures before the main event.

"You look really pretty, too," he mentioned, looking back up at her.

"Why, thank you," Botan said, giving him a little twirl. She had opted for a sleeveless, pink dress that was fitted at the top and flared out slightly where it rested on her lower thighs. Her hair was drawn up into a half ponytail with her usual curls at the bottom. She finished the look with the jewelry set that Kai and Hiei had gotten for her birthday, the rose gold matching her dress perfectly.

"Are you all ready for your big moment?"

"Yeah, Hinageshi showed me what to do yesterday," he answered confidently. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"That's the spirit," Botan supported.

A knock at the door interrupted the two of them and Botan checked the time on her phone.

"That must be Shizuru," she mentioned, as she walked over to the door.

Her eyes widened when she saw Hiei standing before her in a charcoal grey suit that fit him like a glove. He wore a crisp white dress shirt underneath and a crimson tie that matched his eyes. He looked great from head to toe and he even smelled good, too. When he quirked a brow, she realized that she must have been gaping at him shamelessly. Shaking her head, she snapped out of it and blurted out the one question that was on her mind.

"What are you doing here?"

"In case you've forgotten, your best friend's wedding starts in two hours," Hiei replied flatly.

"I know that! I meant, why are you here instead of Shizuru?"

"Change in plans," Hiei responded curtly, before looking over at Kai. "Let's go."

"'Kay!"

"Wait a minute—" Botan tried to object, but Kai was already out of the door and bounding down the hallway with Hiei trailing behind him.

She frowned to herself as she slipped her shoes on and picked her purse up from the table near the door. Shizuru could have at least texted her to let her know what was going on, though she supposed if it were truly serious, they would have alerted her. Perhaps they were just running late and figured it would be best if she and Kai went with Hiei, seeing as Kai was a part of the ceremony and had to arrive earlier than the other guests.

The only issue that remained now was Hiei. They were on speaking terms, but she wasn't quite comfortable being around him alone considering all that had happened. The heartache was still too fresh for her to easily overcome it, but it looked as though she had no choice but to push forward. She was going to have to get used to the idea of Hiei and Mukuro sometime and there was no better time than the present. She could do this.

By the time Botan had joined Hiei and Kai outside, they were both already inside of the car. She had expected to see Mukuro sitting in the passenger's seat, but it was vacant.

"Where's Mukuro?" Botan asked, blinking slowly.

"She and Haru are arriving together."

"She didn't stay with you?" Botan questioned, taking a spot in the empty front seat.

"There was an important meeting on the other side of town last night. It didn't make sense to travel back to my apartment when she was much closer to the location of the wedding," Hiei informed.

"I see…" she said as she buckled in.

Hiei started the car and Kai's request was almost immediate.

"Can you put the radio on?" he asked.

"It's broken," Hiei replied quickly.

Kai's face fell in disappointment and Botan couldn't very well let that fly.

"Let me take a look at it; I'm pretty lucky with electronics," she offered, noting the way Kai had instantly perked up. "Shizuru's is always giving her trouble, but I've got the magic touch."

Botan reached a hand out, but Hiei closed his hand over hers, bringing it down to rest between them. Amethyst eyes widened as she looked down at his hand over hers. If Hiei brushed his thumb over her pulse-point, he would realize how quickly her heart had sped up from the exchange and the thought caused her to blush even deeper.

"What are you…?"

Her question was interrupted when Kai popped up between them, pressing the power button on the radio and grinning.

"Looks like I have the magic touch too!" he cheered.

Hiei winced when the radio roared to life, a catchy pop tune blasting from the speakers. He let go of Botan's hand and she realized that he was only trying to stop her from turning the music on. It wasn't some unexpected, out of character gesture. It was a thoughtless attempt to save his ears – and perhaps his sanity – from the type of music that Kai liked. He could have just told Kai that he didn't want to listen to the boy's favorite songs, but it seemed as though Hiei still had difficulty denying him when there was really no harm to his requests.

Still, he didn't have to hold her hand like that. She could still feel the warmth of his skin, as though the memory was seared into her sense of touch. She rung her hands together self-consciously, trying to rid herself of the feeling as Hiei drove off. She couldn't afford to get all soft-eyed and weak-kneed at silly little moments that amounted to nothing and she resolved to guard herself from doing so in the future.

Botan remained silent for the entire trip, content with looking out of the window and clearing her mind of any pesky thoughts. Hiei's gaze flickered over to her a total of three times, but fortunately for her, he refrained from saying whatever was on his mind. He pulled up to the cathedral an hour later and dropped them off at the front steps.

"Thanks for the ride," Botan said as she exited the car. Hiei only nodded in response, before driving off to find a parking space.

The parking lot was already packed with people and vehicles and she hoped that he wouldn't have too much trouble as she ushered Kai inside. The cathedral – which was the only thing that Ayame insisted on – was massive and full of life and excitement. Everyone was decked off and the photographers were snapping photos at every turn. She noticed a lot of politicians, businessmen and women and other influential people mulling around the area. It was to be expected, so she held her head high as they walked further into the entrance area.

She spotted Koenma donned in his black wedding tux. There wasn't a hair out of place on his head or a wrinkle on his suit. He looked like a prince out of a fairytale.

"Well, don't you look handsome," she greeted.

Koenma turned around, a smile brightening his features as he pulled her into a quick hug.

"You're right on time, I was looking for you both," he said, shoulders relaxing somewhat.

"Reporting for duty, sir!" Botan announced.

Kai stood at full attention, giving the groom a mock salute with a serious expression. Koenma chuckled, loosing the tension that was previously in his features.

"So, how are you doing?" Botan asked, glad to see that they could bring some of that light back to his eyes.

"I'm fine," he said dismissively. "Just a little anxious."

"Well, you look great," she commented. "There's absolutely nothing for you to be worried about. This is your day, too, you know. You should revel in it."

"You're right," Koenma conceded, letting out a deep breath. "I can do this."

"You sure can," she encouraged.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," Kai added reassuringly.

Koenma grinned down at the two of them.

"Oh, before I forget, I reserved the third row for you all," he mentioned. "Right side."

"Got it," Botan replied.

"We had better be going now. I'll bring Kai over to the rest of the wedding party," he said, motioning for Kai to come over to his side.

"Alright," she replied, giving Kai an encouraging nod. "Good luck, Kai."

"Thanks!"

"Oh and Koenma?"

"Hm?"

"Ayame really is one lucky lady. You're going to make her very happy."

He smiled at her and words weren't needed in that moment. He gave her one final nod and then she watched as the two disappeared down the hallway, pride filling her eyes and her heart. When she turned around again, she spotted Hiei entering the cathedral. She ignored the slight pang of regret that ran through her and forced a smile on her face, waving him over.

"Kai just left with Koenma," she informed. "We made it right on time."

He grunted out a sound of acknowledgment and the two stood there awkwardly for a moment. Botan cleared her throat, before trying to dispel the strange tension between them.

"So, whatever happened with Shizuru and the others?" she asked conversationally.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't know."

Botan blinked in confusion, brow crinkling slightly.

"Didn't you say that there was a change in plans?" she recalled, pointing a finger at him.

"I changed the plans," he clarified. "It made more sense for us to go together."

Her heart started that quick-tempo rhythm again.

"W-why?"

"Because we live the closest to each other," he reasoned.

She supposed that made sense.

"And because you're clearly avoiding me," he finished.

Panic froze her brain temporarily and her blood ran cold at being caught. She couldn't very well admit the truth, so she did what she was worst at: lying.

"N-now why on earth would you think I was doing something like that?" she feigned innocence, backpedaling in order to distance herself from him.

"You tell me," he countered, taking a step closer.

Botan gulped.

"It's really nothing. In fact, you're probably imagining it."

"I don't think I am."

She took another step backwards, colliding into someone. She turned around to apologize and bit back the sigh of relief when she spotted the familiar face.

"Yusuke!"

"Whoa there," he said, raising a brow. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," they both answered in unison. Botan's voice was shrill while Hiei's remained calm and even.

"…Okay," he relented, clearly not entirely convinced.

She pointedly ignored both Yusuke and Hiei's gazes in lieu of greeting the others. Yukina and Shizuru entered next, the brunette donned in a one-shoulder, long dress while Yukina opted for a thick strapped sleeveless dress that fell near her knees. Kuwabara and Kurama followed the girls inside and Botan's head tilted as she looked between the four boys curiously. Kuwabara's face contorted into a grimace, already knowing what the outcome of her scrutiny would be and she barely managed to contain her voice as she busted out into peals of uncontrollable laughter.

"You're… you're all matching!" she exclaimed. Aside from the different colored ties, all four boys were decked out in the same exact style, cut and color suit.

Yusuke rolled his eyes in annoyance while Hiei looked away uncomfortably.

"Yes they are," Shizuru confirmed. Her tone was as flat as always, but the amusement swimming in her brown eyes was enough of an indication of her true thoughts on the boys' unfortunate situation.

"How on earth did that happen?" Botan inquired.

"We have Suzuka to thank for this particular incident," Kurama informed somewhat regretfully a slight frown marring his usually composed features.

"We didn't realize that clown picked the same outfit for the four of us until it was too late to do anything about it," Kuwabara grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Botan began laughing even harder at the thought, shoulders shaking as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes at the thought of Suzuka duping them all like that. She only wished that Koenma were here to see this as well; he would surely be just as entertained as she was.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. It's hilarious," Yusuke muttered sourly. He punched a fist into his open palm as he glared at the throng of people making their way into the church hall. "When I find that Suzuka, I'm gonna kill him."

"Me too," Kuwabara agreed resolutely.

"Don't be upset. I think you all look very dashing," Yukina tried, giving Kuwabara a sympathetic smile.

"Yukina's right," Shizuru agreed. "I say you four start up a boy band and no one would question it."

"Not helping, sis," he complained stuffily.

"Never said I was here to help, baby bro," she countered coolly.

Kuwabara's frown darkened and Botan tried her best to reign herself in. She pressed her lips tightly and stifled the laughter that threatened to bubble up from the pit of her stomach. She would have to take a picture of the four of them for posterity's sake.

"You know, if you boys stand far enough away from each other, no one will notice," Botan suggested good-naturedly in an attempt to make up for her initial reaction. "There are so many people here, I'm afraid that I might get lost in the crowd."

"And so many hotties," Yusuke added, looking around the area with a lewd grin.

"Don't be a pervert," Botan warned. "And please try not to cause a scene. We wouldn't want anything to ruin Koenma and Ayame's special day."

"Don't worry, I'll behave," Yusuke promised. "I just hope that all these women won't."

Botan rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Koenma said he reserved the third row for us," she informed.

Shizuru and Kurama led the way, followed by Yukina and Kuwabara. Yusuke and Botan trailed behind them, with Hiei taking up the rear. The wide, open space of the church was breathtaking. Sunlight poured through the glass-stained windows and the area was decorated with softly lit candles and bouquets of Ayame's favorite flowers. The entire scene was so romantic and wondrous that Botan found herself getting swept away by it all.

They spotted Suzuka's group already seated towards the back. Yusuke flipped him the bird and Suzuka only smirked in response. Botan shook her head at the exchange, reminding herself to thank Suzuka for pulling such a priceless prank on the foursome. As they continued down the way, she saw a sea of familiar faces from both Ayame and Koenma's side of the church. There was Yomi and Shura waiting patiently for the ceremony to start. Enki was laughing heartily with a few others that she did not quite recognize. Genkai, who usually kept to herself, was in the corner of her row, arms crossed and expression unreadable. The Toguro Brothers (who quite frankly creeped Botan out) were seated with a few other sketchy looking characters. They were probably only there for show and not because they cared about Koenma or Ayame, Botan thought to herself.

The guests were a strange mix of the powerful and well-known people, to the more common folk, like herself. It was certainly odd to see, but Koenma did have a way of bringing all sorts of people together. Her assessment of the guests was interrupted when Yusuke saddled up beside her, shoulder to shoulder as he leaned in to say something to her.

"Hey, so, I know it's kinda last minute, but, do you wanna be my date?" he asked suddenly.

Botan raised a brow.

"Your date? What about the lot of attractive women you were going on about earlier?"

"They're still on my to-do list, but that doesn't mean that we can't have fun either."

Botan's brows shot upward as her whole body tensed.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I didn't mean it like that!" Yusuke cut in quickly with a dismissive wave.

"Then what exactly did you mean?" she asked.

"Everybody else is paired off," he explained, pausing to motion over to the others. Yukina and Kuwabara were holding hands as they walked ahead and Shizuru and Kurama were standing closer to each other than usual. "We might as well too. Could be fun."

Yusuke sort of did have a point there. It was always nice to have a date or at least a buddy to rely on during occasions such as these. But the blasé way that he had suggested it wasn't doing much for Botan's ego.

"Way to make a girl feel special, Yusuke," she mumbled dryly.

"Aw come on, you know you're my favorite," he teased, nudging her with his elbow. He flashed her a playful grin and Botan couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, how can I say no to that?" she answered, her spirits lifted.

Yusuke held out his arm for her mockingly and she took it as together, they walked side by side. When they shuffled into the aisle, Botan could have sworn that Hiei was sporting an expression that was darker than usual. He sat at her left, while Yusuke took his position at her right. She could feel the tension in the air and wanted to say something to dispel it, but she didn't know what to say or how to go about it.

She did not have to dwell on it for much longer, though, as Haru and Mukuro finally showed.

"Hey guys," Haru greeted with a wide grin and a wave of his hand. His expression momentarily dissolved into a look of amusement as green eyes did a double take. "Did you guys all plan on matching, or…?"

"Drop it," Hiei ordered.

Haru snorted out a laugh, but did not say anymore as he was met by the irritated and exasperated looks from the remaining boys. Mukuro afforded them a nod of acknowledgement and they all scooted down for the two to fit. Haru took the end of the row and Mukuro sat at Hiei's other side. Botan looked down at her phone; fifteen minutes to go. She focused all of her attention on Yusuke's conversation with the others on her right and tried to ignore whatever was happening on her left with Hiei and Mukuro. Sure enough, the sound of the procession starting caused the guests to quiet down and anticipation filled the air. The pianist began to play a beautiful melody and Koenma appeared to walk down the aisle. He stood to the right of the priest, looking as suave and confident as ever. The groomsmen and bridesmaids marched down the aisle next, each taking their places at the front.

The flower girl was absolutely adorable as she sprinkled white and pink petals down the aisle, smiling sweetly as she made her way towards the bridesmaids. Kai followed shortly after and Botan couldn't help the bright smile that stretched over her lips. She watched him carefully stride down the aisle with the rings firmly attached to the royal blue pillow held in his hands.

He looked a little nervous, but like with everything else, he put on a brave front. Purple eyes stared straight ahead while his mouth was set in a line. His gait was slow and practiced as he got further down the aisle. The guests had heartwarming smiles on their face as they watched him as well and Botan snapped a few good shots on her phone. Hiei's expression remained impassive, but his eyes trailed Kai the entire time. Kai handed the rings off to George, Koenma's best man, and then stood off to the side with the rest of the party.

Finally, Ayame made her grand entrance with her father standing to her right. She wore a gorgeous fit and flare gown made out of white duchess satin. The bodice and sweetheart neckline gleamed with ornate beaded detailing, while the skirt and train remained spotless and pristine. Ayame's dark locks were fashioned up into an intricate bun and a small tiara was placed on the crown of her head. She looked like something out of a fairytale.

Botan was not ashamed to admit that she got all teary eyed during the exchanging of vows and Yusuke did not miss the opportunity to tease her for it. She didn't care though. The entire affair was beautiful and romantic and grand. And even more, it was her best friend and he was finally getting the love he deserved.

They all cheered when Koenma kissed Ayame and the pair was finally announced as husband and wife. The procession closed as Kai and the flower girls exited, followed by the bridal party and then the bride and groom.

After a round of hugs and congratulations, everyone drove towards the Enma Estate for the reception. Botan and Kai hitched a ride with Haru, allowing Hiei and Mukuro some time for themselves. Haru was great company and the fifteen minute drive was filled with laughter and good conversation. When they arrived at the property, Haru let out a whistle. It was even more impressive than she remembered with its neatly cut shrubbery and grass, fountains and all manner of plants and flowers. Kai's eyes went wide at the sight, his mouth jaw slack and lips parted in awe.

"Whoa, is Koenma a prince or something?" Kai wondered.

Botan and Haru exchanged amused looks.

"No, why would you ask that?" Botan played along.

"Because he lives in a huge castle!" Kai said, looking astounded.

"His father is a very powerful and influential," Botan explained as they entered. "That's why we have to be on our best behavior while we're here."

Yusuke and Kuwabara were nudging each other as they entered, followed by an annoyed Shizuru and an unreadable Yukina.

"Like they are?" Kai cocked an eyebrow.

"Just do the complete opposite of whatever they're up to and you'll be fine," Botan suggested good-humoredly.

* * *

Hiei and Mukuro followed the multitude of people as they were ushered into the grand hall. He didn't care much for extravagance and wealth, but the sight was something that most people did not get to experience in a life time. Everything from the flawlessly bedecked tables to the spotlessly shining rich wood floors was dripping in opulence.

The high ceilings were decorated in order to create canopy effect and small bulbs of light attached to the linens casted the entire room in a soft, golden lighting. The hall was decorated with all manner of candles, lights, flowers and lanterns and even Hiei had to admit that was tasteful and elegant. A live band was tucked away into the corner of the room, playing a slow and melodic tune that Hiei had heard once before but could not name.

"It looks like we're assigned to different tables," Mukuro stated, flipping over her card to reveal the number 6 scripted in bold black lettering.

Hiei's gaze flickered down to his own card, which had him seated at table 7. No one had known about his engagement to Mukuro, so it was only natural that they were not grouped together. His gaze roamed over table six's prospects and realized that they were all Enma Corp. employees.

"It seems you got stuck with the stiffs," Hiei observed.

"That's not true. Haru is there as well," Mukuro noted.

"Hn. I'm not sure which option is worse," Hiei replied.

The corner of her mouth uplifted wryly as something akin to amusement reflected in her blue eyes. She gave him a final look before taking her spot at her table. Haru seemed to brighten up upon seeing her, probably more than happy to have some company amongst the less than stellar group he was stuck with. Hiei's eyes lingered on her for a bit longer than he cared to admit. After tonight she would know the truth and he wasn't sure if they could survive it.

"Hey, Hiei! Over here!"

Kai pulled him out of his thoughts, instantly dispelling the strange mood that had threatened to settle over him. He took his seat in between Yukina and Kai and regarded the others with a nod. Kai was restless in his chair and Hiei could almost feel the excited energy surrounding the boy.

"Did you see me walk down the aisle?" Kai asked, purple eyes alight with pride.

"I did."

"How did I do?"

"You did well."

Hiei omitted the fact that it required little skill to walk a pair of rings down the aisle, but he could see that the job meant something to Kai. Besides, if he was being honest, he was pleased with the serious and dedicated way that Kai had fulfilled his duties.

"See? I told you that you did an excellent job. Best ring bearer ever," Botan complimented from Kai's left side.

The boy was grinning unabashedly now and Hiei looked away. No matter what may happen with Mukuro, he couldn't find it in him to regret it. Not when his son was right where he belonged.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the front of the room, where the best man, Jorge, was due to give his speech. The next few minutes were filled with embarrassing sentiments, corny jokes and lots of toasting. The crystal glasses were already filled with champagne and Hiei's glass was finished before the second toast was over.

When dinner was served, Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately began wolfing down their food. It seemed as though some things never changed. Kai was a bit pickier with the fancier dishes, but he ate a decent enough amount, so by the time the cake rolled around, he was allowed to eat a slice as large as his head.

Once the obligatory activities were finished (Hiei did not pay much attention to the bouquet or garter toss), the program had dissolved into an official party and the DJ took over for the live band. He never cared much for celebrations, so he remained seated at the table while the others went off to entertain themselves. He observed the celebrations with a calm and discerning eye, content to remain out of the limelight and where no one would bother him. At the front of the room, seated at their long table, Koenma whispered something into Ayame's ear, causing her mouth to extend into a soft smile.

Off to the side, Yusuke slung an arm around Chuu's neck as the two sang an off-key tune. Jin joined in at some point as well, causing Touya to shake his head in embarrassment. Shishiwakamaru was too busy chatting up a group of girls to suffer through the second-hand embarrassment, while Suzuka was presumably talking himself and his talent up to a group of businessmen looking to invest in the next big venture.

Hinageshi was dancing with Kai out on the dance floor. Botan and Haru joined them shortly after. By now, Kai's hair had returned to its usual unruly state. Yukina watched them with a warm smile, until Kuwabara actually weaseled her out onto the dance floor as well. Although the oaf had kept himself a respectable distance from Yukina, he did hold her hand every now and again, much to Hiei's dismay.

Shizuru and Kurama were conversing quietly, ignoring the rest of the world as they continued to play the game they were so obviously good at. Mukuro was standing a few feet away from him, engaged in a conversation with Yomi and a few others that Hiei did not care to be a part of.

Everyone was enjoying themselves, but Hiei was more than ready to leave. Mukuro wasn't one for social gatherings, either, and he was sure that she would leave if he proposed it. Besides, he had drawn this out for far too long. It wasn't fair to any of them and it was time to come clean. He needed to tell her the truth. It was at the edge of every thought and on the tip of every word. He couldn't afford to keep it from her any longer.

He glanced back to the place where Botan and Kai were, frowning when he realized that Kai was not there. Botan looked distressed as Haru rejoined her on the dance floor. He could not hear their conversation from this distance, but he knew that something was not right. The two began to make their way off of the dance floor and towards one of the many exits for the room and Hiei stood to follow them.

He had only taken two steps when the sound of a crash alerted them to the west entrance. The music stopped abruptly and all eyes turned to the scene that left Hiei's blood boiling and senses on edge. Makintaro, one of the security detail, came stalking into the hall holding Kai by the scruff of his shirt as the boy tried to struggle against the burly man's hold.

"Hey, you big brute, you let go of him right now!" Botan ordered, her heels clicking against the floor as she stomped over to meet them halfway.

"I don't think so," Makintaro replied, fist tightening around Kai's suit in stubborn determination. Kai was still struggling to get out of the vice grip, but it was no use.

"Let him go," Hiei demanded, eyes narrowed into an icy glare.

"With all due respect, Mr. Jaganshi, this little menace-"

"That little menace is my son," Hiei declared, fists clenched as he took a step forward. "And if you put your filthy hands on him again, you will find yourself without them."

Makintaro's beady eyes widened and he set Kai down immediately. Kai took the opportunity to shoot the man a dirty look as he straightened out his suit.

"Are you okay?" Botan asked, bending down to eye-level so that she could examine him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kai dismissed, dusting himself off.

"Are you sure?" she asked again as Hiei came to stand by their side.

"Yes, I promise," he reassured. "I said I was gonna follow Haru to the bathroom, but then I got lost. I ended up in this other room with all these jewels and stuff. I didn't touch anything, honest… but then this jerk came in and got the wrong idea."

"I believe you, sweetie," Botan said reassuringly. Kai simply wasn't the type to take what didn't belong to him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I am," he said, before looking up at Hiei. "Really."

Hiei nodded.

"There's nothing to see here," Koenma's voice sounded over the microphone. "Everything is fine. Just a little misunderstanding."

Koenma looked over to the DJ and he started the music up as the guests went back to their earlier business. Makintaro was a fool who had no qualms with harming anyone; things could have gone far worse and they were all lucky that it didn't. Hiei let out a deep sigh, but he soon realized that it was a bit premature. The moment he turned around he was met with cold and hard blue eyes. Mukuro's expression remained tempered for all of those who did not know her as well as he did, but he could see that she was upset.

"We need to talk," she said, her tone even.

Hiei mentally cursed. He had just declared that Kai was his in front of the entire room and unfortunately, that included Mukuro. This was not the way he wanted her to find out, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He nodded in resignation, watching as she left the room.

Hiei could feel both Botan's and Kai's eyes on him as he followed suit. The music played dully in his hears as he exited the room, in search of a more private place. Although Mukuro appeared to be the picture of poise, he knew that she was angry. There was a stiff tension in her movements and in her stride that only arose when she was wound up. His mind was blank as he walked through the empty hallway, unsure of what to say or do to make this right. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her; she didn't deserve that.

Eventually they found a secluded wing where they could talk without interruption. Hiei took the time to look at her under the dim light of the hallway; to really see the woman standing before him. It had suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't paid much attention to her since the day she had unexpectedly dropped by. Perhaps it was his own guilt or conscience that caused him to distance himself from her, but he couldn't do it any longer.

Her hair had gotten a little longer. Not dramatically so, just an inch or two more than he was used to. Her carefully constructed expression was unlike her usual, confident countenance. This was pieced together deliberately in the way that she held his gaze, the firm line she had set her mouth into and the straight posture. Her arms were at her sides, not completely loose but not yet tensed either, as if any moment she would tighten her fists or cross her arms together. Her brow was slightly creased and the look in her eye was sharper than usual.

She had worn a form fitting black dress that held her in all the right places. It was a far more feminine look than he was used to seeing on her. It was disconcerting that he had only realized it now. He wondered what else he might have let slip through the cracks while he was avoiding her; while he was stubbornly pretending that everything was all right between them.

He did not have time to contemplate it, though. He was here for a reason and it finally time to come clean. Mukuro folded her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

"You had a child this entire time and neglected to tell me. And everyone seemed to know about him but me," she recounted, blue eyes sharpening with each word. "I don't like being played for a fool, Hiei."

Hiei opened his mouth to counter her claim, but she held up a hand.

"You had your friends, your sister and even your son pretending otherwise. It might not have been your intention to do so, but that's exactly what you did," she accused, an edge to her tone that he was not familiar with. "If this were anyone else, I wouldn't have bothered. But I'm going to give you the chance to speak your piece despite all of that."

Hiei nodded.

"It wasn't my intention to make a fool out of you. I wouldn't do that to you," he started honestly. It was not an emotional response or a half-hearted attempt to sweet talk her into believing him, it was the plain and honest truth. And she seemed to understand that. She always understood. "I wanted to tell you in private and in person, but I never had the chance to."

"Explain it to me now."

He had no idea where to start.

"From the beginning," Mukuro ordered.

Hiei straightened his posture and met her gaze head on as he started.

"I did what I had to do to get by. The clinic was the fastest and surest way of getting money and Kai was a result of the donations I gave in the past. I had never intended for my samples to be used for the purposes of reproduction, but somehow both Botan's and my own were used in an in vitro pregnancy. The intended parents died shortly after Kai was born. He was given to the orphanage and then placed in the foster care system. The doctors had manipulated his file in such a way that his biological parents would never become privy to his existence, but the boy was determined to find us and a few months ago, he did."

Mukuro was still and silent as she processed the information.

"It wasn't my plan to raise him. I was going to support him financially and leave everything else to Botan. She was the one who wanted him, not me," Hiei stated. "But over time things changed and he became important to me."

The air was heavy and weighted between them and Mukuro's expression still did not stray from its impassive state. He would have preferred it if she had given him some sort of reaction to work off of, but he continued nonetheless.

"We both agreed that we didn't want children in the past but this was something that I could not have foreseen or controlled. I understand that this complicates things between us, so the decision of whether we continue or not is yours to make," Hiei said. "I'm going to stay in his life because he's the biggest part of mine. But you're free to walk away from all of this here and now if is too much. I don't expect anything more than you are willing to give and I won't hold it against you."

Mukuro's gaze dipped for a moment, the way she did when she was contemplating something and then her eyes were locked onto his again.

"I need time to think this through fully," she answered, uncrossing her arms and allowing them to fall at her sides.

"I understand."

"I'll contact you tomorrow," she stated with an air of finality.

Mukuro did not say another word; she simply turned on her heels and began to walk towards the direction of the grand hall.

Hiei allowed her a bit of time before returning to reception as well. He immediately noticed that a member of their rival company had snatched up Mukuro's attention and she showed no signs of unease or discomfiture. Hiei knew that she could handle herself – in fact, she was the one who taught him how to deal with such people – and she implicitly stated that she wanted to be left alone, so Hiei returned to his table. He had half a mind to leave; he had spent enough time here, but he couldn't go until he knew how Kai (and by extension, Botan) was getting home.

He searched the crowd of bodies, brow furrowing when he spotted Yusuke and Botan together. Hiei shouldn't have cared, but the sight of them together left the same bitter taste in his mouth when he heard Yusuke ask her to be his date. Every time the other man made a flirty remark about Botan's looks or body, Hiei found himself experiencing this state of mind. It was almost like the same sort of protective instincts that usually only flared up for Yukina, but twisted into something that he did not want to admit or consider.

Yusuke twirled Botan effortlessly and she was laughing openly with him, mouth extended into a bright smile that lit up her entire face. She and Yusuke shared an effortless friendship, easy and light and comfortable; something that might have lost out on with her and he didn't even know how or where it all went wrong. He frowned at the thought. He wasn't jealous. He really wasn't. But with Botan avoiding him like the plague, his unease was at least somewhat justified.

He loosened his tie before downing the entirety of his nearly forgotten drink. The music was pounding in his ears as the liquid burned down his throat, but it did nothing to quell the agitation that had suddenly built up in his chest. He should have felt free now that he told Mukuro the truth, but Botan's uncharacteristic behavior towards him was proving to be more problematic than he could have imagined.

He watched her laugh at something that Yusuke had said and rolled his eyes irritably. Everyone was in their own world, swept away by the prosperous union between the heirs of two major conglomerates, so they would not pay attention to his suddenly dark countenance. Even the stuffy board of directors all seemed to be pleased as they chattered amongst themselves and yet he could not control his emotions long enough to stop one single woman from troubling him so.

He shifted in his chair and then tapped his dress shoes against the lacquered floor impatiently, not quite sure what his next move should be. When he was alone and in one of his moods much like he was now, Botan was usually the one who appeared at his side with a warm smile and bit of good-natured cheer.

But she wouldn't come this time.

He was foolishly waiting on a moment that wouldn't come to pass.

He lifted his gaze back to the crowd of dancing bodies and pushed aside all other thoughts when he noticed Shishiwakamaru making his way towards Botan. Hiei's eyes narrowed when the man approached Botan, all false smiles and practiced charm. She shook her head, declining whatever advances Shishiwakamaru was trying to make, but the man had always been stubbornly determined and too full of himself to back down from a challenge. Hiei's legs carried him over to where they were before his conscious mind could stop him.

"Hiei," Botan said as he approached them, looking relieved to see him rather than shocked or unnerved.

Shishiwakamaru ignored him entirely, focus on Botan.

"So what do you say, one dance?"

"I'm not sure how many times the woman has to reject you before you realize that she isn't interested," Hiei cut in. He shifted his weight so that he was standing a little bit closer to her and Shishiwakamaru looked between the two of them in confusion.

"I didn't know you two were like that," Shishiwakamaru stated.

Hiei raised a brow at the insinuation, mouth opened and ready to respond, but Botan reacted sooner than he expected.

"I promised this moody guy a dance," she lied. She placed a hand on Hiei's arm and forced a grin. "Sorry Shishi, maybe some other time."

"No worries," Shishi relented with an easy shrug of his shoulders.

Even over the loud music, Hiei could hear Shishiwakamaru's fan club calling him back over to their side. The man sent Botan a flirty smirk before going his way. Hiei rolled his eyes and turned to leave, but Botan, whose hand was still on his arm, pulled him back.

"Where are you going?" she questioned.

"Back to the table," he answered flatly.

"You can't do that!" she replied. "I just told Shishiwakamaru that we were about to dance. He'll think something fishy is going on if you just walk away now."

"Something fishy is going on, woman," he accused, alluding to the way she seemed to be avoiding him.

Her brows rose in confusion.

"What?"

Hiei shook his head, deciding against voicing his thoughts.

"Never mind."

Botan opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the song ended and the atmosphere took a sudden turn.

The brightly colored lights were no longer flashing in his eyes and the glaring bass of the last song quieted and ended completely.

"We're gonna slow it down a bit, so all you lovers get out on the dance floor," the DJ announced. He nodded at the band, who began to take up their positions again.

The band began to play again and the female vocalist drawing out a soft and soulful melody as the lights dimmed.

"Well, this is awkward," Botan muttered under her breath. She looked around at all the couples who had begun to slow dance and blushed.

They were the only two who remained motionless and Hiei could feel Shishiwakamaru's prying eyes on them. He knew what he had to do, but he was not sure how Botan would react. She looked at him uncertainly and he made his move before he could talk himself out of it. Snaking an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to him. Botan's breath hitched when their bodies made contact and he ignored the alarming way that she fit against him perfectly.

"What are you doing?" she asked, almost breathlessly, amethyst eyes wide in a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"I'm playing along," he replied lowly. "I thought this is what you wanted."

His words seemed to bring her back to reality and she nodded in understanding. A few moments passed before she relaxed under his hold and looped her arms around his shoulders so that her lands lay right underneath the nape of his neck. Their sudden closeness was unexpected and Hiei had to remind himself not to tense up under her touch. He stubbornly ignored the way his pulse raced when her fingers ran through his hair, soft and soothing and more intimate than he cared to admit.

Perhaps he'd had more to drink than he originally thought, because the longer that he held her in his arms, the longer that he started to think that it wasn't entirely horrible.

* * *

Mukuro stood at the bar, drink in hand as she stared at nothing in particular. She knew that Hiei was hiding something from her, but she never would have expected this. A child was something that neither of them had ever considered having and the fact that Hiei had one was a bit too much for even her to process. She wasn't shattered or devastated; she was simply thrown for a loop. For the first time in a long time, she was unsure of what to do.

She caught sight of Hiei and Botan in the middle of the dance floor and she paused to examine them. There was something in the way they interacted, something in the way they looked at each other that gave Mukuro the impression that they were more than they seemed. There was a familiarity in the way they fit together and in the way that their eyes met each other. If Mukuro did not know any better, she would have classified it as attraction, but she could not be entirely sure. After all, he had never once looked at her the way that he was looking at Botan now. In fact, Mukuro was one hundred percent certain that Hiei was not even aware of his actions. It was almost ironic. The man had an iron grip on his emotions and fortified walls around his heart, but now that she had taken a step back, she was finally starting to see him clearly.

She tore her eyes away from the pair and turned to acknowledge Kai, who had been staring at her unrelentingly for the past minute. He sat atop one of the bar stools beside her, arms crossed over his chest and a frown tugging at his lips. She wondered why neither of his parents seemed to wonder where he was, but she could see Yusuke a few feet away, keeping a watchful eye on him.

"Don't give me that look, boy. I've been your father's fiancée for longer than you have even known him," she reminded him.

"I know," Kai replied tightly.

"And you do know that glaring at me all night won't magically solve your problems with me, right?"

"I'm not glaring," Kai said, releasing the tension in his features. "I'm thinking."

"What pretell might that be about?"

"You," he answered bluntly. "I'm trying to figure you out."

Mukuro was surprised to hear that come from the boy.

"How come you aren't mad?" Kai questioned. "I was when I found out about you."

If there was one thing she prided herself in, it was her composure. She was not about to lose it over something she had no control over like a petulant child.

"Something as misguided and misplaced as anger does not belong in a situation as complicated as this one," she answered simply.

Kai nodded in understanding.

"I guess you're right."

He stared ahead quietly, expression softening when he finally spotted his parents in the crowd. The corners of his lips curled upwards and she could plainly see that he was pleased to see them together. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the boy was hoping for what most children with separated parents wished for.

"Do you even love Hiei?" Kai inquired suddenly, looking up at her with searching eyes.

Mukuro raised a brow, surprised that he would even ask such a thing.

"You're extremely brusque," she replied, setting her drink on the bar. "There is no denying that you are Hiei's spawn."

"Thanks," he replied, taking it as a compliment. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"Why do you ask?" Mukuro deflected.

"Because Yukina says when two people love each other, they should be together. No offense, but it doesn't look like you're in love."

"And you are under the impression that your parents are," Mukuro concluded, eyes drifting back towards the two in question.

Kai didn't seem put-off to hear her read him so easily. He simply nodded proudly.

"I read a book about it and they both show the symptoms."

"And what might those symptoms be?" Mukuro asked, posture relaxed as she allowed herself to lean on against the counter of the bar.

"Well, they stare at each other when the other isn't watching," Kai started. "They might not admit it, but I see them doing it all the time."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. And Hiei is always angry whenever some other guy talks to Botan."

"Is he?"

"Yup, oh, and Botan's always blushing around Hiei. She never does that with Yusuke or Kurama or Kuwabara."

"I see."

"Plus, they get along really well now," Kai recounted. "They used to fight all the time and it was pretty bad. But now they're really close and they have a good time with each other."

"Hm."

"And they-"

"Kai?" Botan cut in suddenly.

Mukuro did not even realize that the song had ended or that Botan had approached them. She had been so focused on the boy's claims that she let her guard down.

"Can you give us a moment please?" Botan asked Kai.

He looked between the two of them before nodding.

"Yeah, sure."

They both watched as he hopped off of the stool and made his way over to Hiei. The bar was far enough away from the band for them to hold a conversation without raising their voices too much. Though, Mukuro would rather not be talking to the mother of Hiei's child right now. It was all a lot to process and internalize.

Botan turned to face Mukuro with after releasing a deep breath. Her furrowed blue brows and guilt ridden amethyst eyes said it all. This woman was clearly the open-book type; the complete opposite of Hiei in every way.

"I'm sorry that we lied," Botan started predictably. "Hiei wanted to tell you the truth on his own terms and I thought he deserved that. I realize now that it wasn't the best decision, but he really did want to do things right by you."

"I know," Mukuro admitted. "And you have nothing to apologize for."

Botan gave Mukuro a half-smile, cutting through some of the tension in the air. The two were quiet for a while, but it was clear that the bluette had something on her mind.

"You look like you're bursting at the seams. Is there something more you wanted to say?" Mukuro prompted. She was an expert with the chatty types after dealing with Haru and she was unsurprised when Botan turned to face her again.

"Please think things over band don't make any rash decisions tonight," Botan requested. "Hiei is a great guy. I understand that a child complicates things, but life doesn't go as we planned. Kai is an amazing child and between Hiei and I and all of the others, he's well taken care of. There won't be any burden or pressure on you. If you love Hiei and you want to be with him, then just be there for him the way he needs you to. I won't begin to pretend as though I understand your bond with Hiei, but I would hate to think that it was damaged because of us."

Mukuro mulled over Botan's advice contemplatively. Normally, she did not take well to anyone telling her what to do or how to live her life. She was smart and independent, free to make her own choices and figure things out for herself. Such unnecessary words would have insulted her, but it was clear that Botan was not trying to meddle or talk down to Mukuro. Her words came from a sincere and unselfish place and Mukuro could appreciate that.

"Whatever occurs between Hiei and myself will be of our choosing," Mukuro guaranteed. "I do not harbor any ill will towards you or th boy and I cannot fault Hiei for the hand he was dealt."

"I'm glad to hear that," Botan replied, the relief in evident in her tone.

The two settled in a comfortable silence, their both of their gazes falling on Hiei. He was saying something to Kai that had him doubled over in stitches. Mukuro had never seen this side of him before; this ease and contentment. He looked at Kai with a hidden fondness in his eyes; the sort of emotion that Mukuro did not think he was capable of. Apparently, there was a lot about him that she did not know.

She glanced at Botan from the corner of her eye to see that the bluette had a wistful smile on her face. Her eyes were on Hiei alone and the warmth lying there was unbridled and unmatched. Things were falling into place and aligning with startling clarity. Mukuro suddenly felt as though she was on the outside looking in and she did not like it.

"It must have been hard for you," she began, deliberately ambiguous with her wording.

Botan snapped out of her reverie, brows shooting upwards as she looked over at Mukuro.

"What?"

"Falling in love with a man as guarded and unpredictable as Hiei."

Botan's eyes widened in shock, complete horror and guilt etched into her expression.

"I…"

"I don't blame you. If I was capable of that sort of emotion, maybe I would have fallen for him too."

Botan opened and closed her mouth, unable to say anything as Mukuro walked away.

Mukuro hated to lose, but she was smart enough to know when to walk away from a losing battle.

* * *

Hiei didn't have a good feeling in his gut when he saw Mukuro and Botan talking privately. He waited until they were finished to approach Botan, Kai trailing him dutifully.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"Nothing," Botan replied, shaking her head.

"Botan," he ground out, patience running low.

"It was between us girls," she told him purposely.

He quickly realized that he would not get it out of her and perhaps it wasn't his place to know.

"Hn."

The air between them morphed into something awkward and heavy again. He didn't know how to dispel it and that bothered him more than he cared to admit. Botan cleared her throat and set a determined look on her face.

"Well, I'll be going now," she informed.

"Wait," he ordered, grabbing a hold of her arm before she could get away.

Kai's brow crinkled in confusion as he stood between the two of them, looking completely torn and confused. Hiei realized how this might have looked, but he didn't care.

"It's okay," he reassured Kai monotonously before returning his gaze to meet Botan's directly. "She and I simply need to talk."

Botan shook her head.

"No, we don't," she countered, trying to pull out of his grasp.

"All I need is two minutes and then you can go back to pretending that I don't exist."

That seemed to squash the fires of protest raging within her and she wilted in his grip, an almost guilty look crossing her features as she nodded.

"Alright," she agreed finally. "Two minutes."

Hiei released his hold on her arm and she rubbed at the point of contact. He knew that he hadn't hurt her, but she seemed to eager to erase all traces of his touch. He wondered if she was really that disgusted with him. If she disliked him that much. He pushed that disturbing thought aside and looked down at Kai pointedly.

"I'm gonna go sit with Yukina and Kuwabara for a bit," he offered helpfully.

"Alright honey," Botan replied.

Kai gave Hiei a very unsubtle wink and Hiei rolled his eyes as he watched the boy wade through the crowd. He did appreciate the way he seemed to understand all of his nonverbal cues, though, so he let it slide. Once Botan was sure that Kai was where he was supposed to be, she turned back to face him. It was now or never, but Hiei did not have the chance to get to the heart of the matter because before either of them could get a word in, the DJ reclaimed his spot at the turntables, cranking up the volume and blasting another one of his boisterous beats.

Hiei scowled almost immediately and for a moment, Botan almost looked amused.

"Why don't we talk outside?" she suggested. "I could use some fresh air."

He nodded. Anything to get away from the music and the crowd of people. He led her out onto the front steps, scanning the area to see if anyone was nearby and relaxing when he realized that they were alone. It was a fairly warm night and he welcomed the peaceful quiet that accompanied the darkness.

Botan leaned on the railing of the steps, looking up at the sky as the faint light afforded from the night sky softened her features.

"It's really beautiful out here, isn't it?"

His gaze rested on her form, drinking in the sight of her in a way he had never really done before. The way she seemed to glow under he moonlight made it hard for him to look away. Beautiful was an understatement.

"We didn't come out here to enjoy the scenery," he said instead, reigning himself in.

"I know," Botan admitted, turning back to him with a resigned look on her face.

You've been avoiding me," he stated. "And I want you to tell me why."

She looked away guiltily.

"…I have my reasons. It's not because of you or anyone else."

"You're telling me that this has absolutely nothing to do with Mukuro?" he pried.

Botan's gaze faltered.

"Mukuro's a great woman and you two make a great match. It doesn't matter what I think."

"I still want to hear what you have to say regardless," he replied stubbornly.

"You might get angry," she warned.

"I won't," he declared.

"You will. And I don't want to fight with you Hiei. Not tonight."

Hiei paused. He didn't want to fight with her, either. He only wanted the truth.

"I won't get angry with you, Botan. You have my word," he promised.

She looked surprised to hear him use her name and he supposed her reaction was warranted. He didn't use it often. She seemed to believe the sincerity in his words and she nodded, lifting her gaze up to meet his resolutely.

"I think you deserve someone who will love you and not just understand you. You're a great guy Hiei and you should have it all. Someone who knows you deeply and who loves you more than you could imagine. Someone who you feel the same about."

"Your view on the matter sounds far too naïve and childlike," he remarked. "But it isn't that simple."

"I know that. Love is hard and tiring and requires so much work, but it's worth every bit of it. And I think you shouldn't settle for anything less than the person who lights your heart on fire; someone who ignites every emotion within you," she professed. Her gaze glanced over to Koenma and Ayame who were on the dance floor. Her expression softened as she returned her gaze to meet his. "Someone who is capable of bringing out the very worst in you, but instead pulls out the best. Someone who makes your heart feel light and free and at ease. If Mukuro does that for you, then I'm glad that you've found her. But you shouldn't simply be with someone because it is convenient."

Hiei swallowed thickly. Her words had twisted his insides, tightened his chest and messed with his mind. If what she said was true; if all that she had said was the way that things were supposed to be, then he was severely over his head. He was completely out of his element.

"Hiei?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered numbly. "You should return to the reception."

"Are you sure?" she pressed.

He nodded wordlessly.

"Alright," she relented.

The person who who elicited all manner of emotions from him, the woman who got under his skin and refused to get out of his mind, the one who pushed him to do and be better wasn't Mukuro. It had never been anyone else but the one who was walking away from him now. He stood on the stone steps, torn as he watched her disappear into the mansion. For the first time in his adult life, he was unsure of his own feelings and he no clue where he should go from here.

* * *

Well, this was certainly a long chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it because I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you thought!


	17. Chapter 17

200 Reviews! Ah, you guys are the best. Thank you!

* * *

Hiei had learned from Haru that Mukuro had taken the first train out of Tokyo on the morning after Koenma's wedding. Hiei should not have been surprised. She was always on the move because her work demanded it, but he had wanted her to stay long enough for them to talk things through. She sent him a brief text on that same day, advising him that she would return later this week so that they could talk in person. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself now that there were two women in his life, but he knew that he had to figure things out soon. This thing with Botan crept up on him so quietly that by the time he realized what was going on, the damage was already done and he was too far gone to pretend as though it wasn't there. Out of respect for Mukuro, Hiei hadn't made any contact with Botan since the night of the wedding.

He had already determined one thing, though: if Mukuro wanted to stay with him, then that was exactly what he would do. He would try to make things work. He had committed himself to her and he gave her his word, after all. He couldn't break it now.

Hiei had never been the sort to think of someone all day or need to see them all the time, but now that he had resolved to temporarily distance himself from Botan, his mind decided to wander towards thoughts of her more often than not. He knew that it was normal. He had set a restriction on himself and his brain was wired in such a way that it would naturally think of that very thing. It would pass with time, but it was still irritating.

Wednesday morning, however, it was a little difficult to do. Today was "bring you child to work" day and when Haru had mentioned it to Kai during the wedding, the boy was all too eager to join in. Hiei had always despised this practice - the office was filled with brats, young and teenaged, and nothing productive ever got done - but when Kai looked up at him with those excited, round eyes, Hiei knew that he stood no chance in convincing the boy not to come. He currently stood in Botan's living room, waiting for him to make his appearance.

Botan stepped out of Kai's room dressed in her pajamas - those childish ones with the bunnies on it – and Hiei had to mentally berate himself for the weak way that his chest twisted when she smiled at him.

"Kai's almost ready," she informed.

Hiei nodded wordlessly, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away. Although he had only allowed himself the slightest view of her, it was imprinted into his memory. It had only been two days and already he was drinking in the sight of her like man who had spent the past few days in the desert without reprieve. How pathetic.

"Kai already ate breakfast," Botan stated. "Oh and he's got an apple and a banana for later, if he gets hungry."

"There's a cafeteria. You didn't have to," he replied.

"I know that, but I still wanted to make his favorite breakfast anyway."

Hiei could smell the scent of pancakes and eggs wafting from the kitchen and his stomach threatened to grumble in hunger.

"Did you want some?" Botan asked. Her tone was light and the corners of her mouth uplifted in an encouraging smile. She was always eager to impose her newly discovered culinary talents on others and this time was no exception.

But he had to decline with a stubborn shake of his head. He didn't need a reason to stay here any longer than he needed to.

"I'll eat at the office," he replied.

"Alright," Botan relented, sounding a little disappointed. Hiei knew that she could sense a difference in him, but it was all he could to be fair to the both of them right now.

"I'm ready," Kai announced, as he entered. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white and black striped t-shirt. "Is this okay?"

"It's fine," Hiei replied.

"Are you sure? I could always go back and change," Kai suggested, a worried frown scrunching up his features.

"Positive," Hiei stated flatly, not at all seeing what the fuss was about.

While Hiei had never cared much for fashion, Kai had picked up on Botan's attention to style and detail and had always insisted that he dressed appropriately for every occasion. Although he did not understand it, he could appreciate Kai putting his best foot forward in whatever way that was. Speaking of, although the woman had always prided herself in her appearance, she seemed to be perfectly comfortable standing before him with sleep filled eyes and an unruly case of bedhead. He doubted that she would do the same if Kurama or Kuwabara were over. Yusuke might have been a different story, but Hiei didn't like to think of just how close those two were.

Kai was still fretting over his shirt when Botan giggled.

"You look great," she reassured as she bent down to meet him at eye level. She pulled him in for a quick hug and then ruffled his hair affectionately. "Have fun, sweetie."

"Thanks Botan," he grinned back.

She stood up and Hiei finally met her gaze. The apartment was silent, save for the sounds of Kai rushing over to put his shoes on. The two stared at each other for a second too long, both unsure of what to say.

"I'll have him back after five," Hiei said finally.

Botan nodded slowly. She looked as though she wanted to say something but he turned away before she could. Every moment he spent in her presence caused that feeling to build; the one that beckoned him to stay.

"Let's go," he told Kai.

"'Kay," Kai replied dutifully, as he finished putting on his shoes. He turned back to look at Botan one last time with a wave. "Love you."

"Love you more," Botan called back.

Hiei spared another glance in her direction, giving her a nod before taking his leave. He ignored the downright embarrassing way his mind committed her smile to memory as he made his way towards his car and started it up. Kai took his seat in the back, jittery with excitement as always. The boy had talked Hiei's ear off the entire ride, but he supposed that was better than the silent treatment Kai had given him back when he learned about Mukuro. Hiei parked his car and they made their way towards the steel building full of large glass windows and many, many stories.

As he stood in front of the building with Kai at his side, he braced himself. He had always hated this day, but this time, he was one of the many who had lugged their children along. He never thought it would come to this, but here he was.

"The building's so big," Kai marveled. "And everyone here works for you?"

"They work for Enma. I just happen to fall somewhere on the chain of command," Hiei replied.

"Wow."

The moment they stepped inside the lobby, the security workers at the front desk and the others making their way inside shot not so subtle glances their way. News had spread about him having a child and he could practically feel everyone's curious eyes on Kai. It was only natural, he had never spoken of the boy and they must have wondered what his spawn would look like.

Hiei did not make any eye contact with anyone as he they entered an empty elevator.

"Which floor?" Kai asked.

"Sixteen."

The boy had just finished pressing the appropriate button when a familiar voice rang out.

"Hold the door!"

Hiei didn't bother, knowing fully well who it was, but Kai politely hit the button to open the doors again. Ura Urashima stepped inside with his son and Hiei's eyes immediately narrowed. Kai tensed when he spotted Sho and straightened his posture a bit.

"Good morning Hiei," Ura said in that fake and simpering tone of his.

"Hn."

Ura nudged his son and the boy rolled his eyes and nodded at Hiei and Kai. Kai crossed his arms over his chest and begrudgingly nodded back. The atmosphere was silent and terse until they reached the tenth floor. The doors opened and the two exited, not before Kai stuck his tongue out behind Sho's back.

"I didn't think Sho would be here," Kai said after the doors closed and they were alone again.

"Has he bothered you at all since that day?" Hiei asked.

"No," Kai answered far too quickly to be truthful.

Hiei's eyes narrowed in suspicion and Kai continued.

"He says mean things sometimes, but I don't care. The kids at the orphanage and the foster home did the same thing all the time," Kai revealed with a shrug. Hiei's blood boiled at the thought of it, but he tempered himself for Kai's sake. The boy honestly did not seem to care. Kai's expression turned mischievous as he smirked up at Hiei. "Besides, I think Sho's afraid I'll use Yusuke's move on him again."

A ghost of a smirk appeared on Hiei's face. It was good to know that the boy could handle himself. Moments later the doors opened and they entered the sixteenth floor. The suite was a little louder than usual due to the increase in children and Hiei's eye twitched as a paper airplane went sailing past his head. He really hated this day.

They received many greetings and waves as he walked towards his office and, as per usual, he only replied with a grunt of a nod of acknowledgement. He did not miss the way all of the employees struggled to catch a glimpse of Kai as they walked by. Luckily, the boy was too busy taking in the sights of everything to notice all of the attention that was centered on him.

The only person Hiei bothered to introduce Kai to was his assistant, Sayo Yoshimoto. She was a middle-aged, jolly woman who treated everyone like they were part of her family. Though she had the tendency of being a bit too friendly by Hiei's standards, she was the best assistant he'd ever had.

"Well, isn't this just the cutest thing I'll see all day?" Sayo cooed, as they approached her cubicle.

Kai blushed shyly.

"Kai, this is my assistant: Sayo Yoshimoto," Hiei introduced.

"Good morning Ms. Yoshimoto," he replied.

"Good morning to you too, Kai," Sayo replied, before giving Hiei a teasing look. "He is so polite. I'm shocked, considering your less than stellar manners."

"Hn."

Hiei did not have time for pleasantries and civilities, but he supposed it was a good thing that Botan had taught the boy well.

"So, how old are you, Kai?" Sayo inquired.

"I'll be eight next month," he answered.

"Eight years old, why you're practically a man," Sayo chuckled.

Kai nodded proudly.

"His mother must be a real beauty," she mentioned.

"She is! Isn't she Hiei?"

Kai looked up at him with that devious kitten expression etched into his expression and if Sayo found it odd that Kai called him by his first name, she did not let it show.

"Well?" Kai pressed.

Hiei looked away stubbornly, refusing to answer. He had no intentions of opening that can of worms on a day when his patience naturally ran thin.

Sayo chuckled fondly, mirth swimming in her dark eyes.

"Well, I'll be right around the corner if you need anything, Kai. Just come on over if you feel like it."

"Thanks Ms. Yoshimoto," he replied.

"Anytime," she winked, before shifting her attentions towards Hiei. She shuffled through a few papers before continuing. "Let's see… your nine o'clock was pushed back to ten and your two o'clock is still on."

"Understood."

"And here are the files you requested," she replied, handing him a stack of folders.

He nodded his thanks and then led Kai to his office. Haru had taken the liberty of sprucing up, much to Hiei's annoyance. He wasn't sure how Haru had managed to get some of Hiei's belongings without his approval, but he didn't stress it. He had long learned to ignore the mysteries that surrounded his AVP.

"Whoa, your office is huge," Kai breathed out as he looked around.

Some of Hiei's awards were framed on the beige wall, while trinkets and keepsakes lay from past company events lay on his desk. There was even a plant in the corner that Hiei never bothered to water, but managed to survive only because Sayo had taken care of it. Apart from his workstation, there was a round table and a few chairs. Nothing out of the ordinary, but Kai seemed impressed. When he was finished surveying the interior, he ran over to the large glass windows, pressing his hands to it as he stared out at the city view through wide eyes. Hiei had gotten so used to it that he often forgot how impressive it was.

"I'm gonna be smart enough to have an office like this one day, too," Kai resolved to himself quietly.

A surge of pride rose in Hiei's chest upon hearing Kai's declaration. Every parent thought that their child was a genius, but Hiei knew that his was sharper and more determined than most kids. He did not doubt that the boy would one day surpass him. He had gotten so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he failed to notice the extra presence in the room.

"Hey Kai!" Haru exclaimed brightly. He was dressed in full on business attire today due to the meeting he had earlier this morning. Despite looking the part of a mature and grown professional, Hiei knew that Haru was going to get into all sorts of trouble today with the kids. He was still a kid at heart, much to Hiei's dismay.

"Haru!" Kai replied, peeling himself away from the window and grinning at the man.

"Ready for a day of fun?" Haru asked, brows wiggling in excitement as he loosened his tie.

"I am!"

"Good, after you're finished with all the company activities, I've got a whole list of fun stuff for us to do. I cleared my entire day for you."

Hiei glared.

"You can't afford to clear the entire day," Hiei reminded him sternly. "You still haven't provided me with the report that was due yesterday."

Haru's expression fell into a childish pout.

"Aw, but that will take me an entire day to do!"

"I don't care," Hiei replied coldly.

"Then I won't have any time at all for Kai," Haru complained as he bent down to pull at Kai's cheeks. "How could you deny this cute little face?"

"Oh, come on, Hiei," Kai urged, words muffled due to Haru's horseplay. "Don't be a grouch."

"Yeah, Hiei, have a heart!" Haru urged.

Two pairs of pleading gazes rested on him and Hiei rolled his eyes. He didn't realized that he would be babysitting Haru as well, instead of just his own child.

"Fine," he gritted, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Haru and Kai exchanged a victorious high-five, letting out sounds of joy as they did so.

"Have the report to me before lunch and you will be free to do as you please with Kai this afternoon," Hiei finished.

Haru wilted and Kai frowned.

"You're so cruel!" Haru cried.

Hiei smirked, but did not say a word as he made his way to his computer and logged in. He had hoped for an email or something from Mukuro, but she did not send him a single thing. He briefly contemplated reaching out to her first, but decided against it. Mukuro did not play games; she would contact him when she was ready.

"We should have known Hiei wasn't going to let you off the hook that easy," Kai muttered quietly.

"Aw, don't worry, I'll get it finished in no time," Haru promised.

"You had better," Hiei interjected, not bothering to look at Haru as he typed away.

"Yes, master," Haru replied tonelessly, pulling a mock bow. "I'll return to my dungeon now."

Kai seemed to be entertained by it all, a grin stretched over his features as he watched Haru trudge away.

"What a nuisance," Hiei grumbled under his breath as he scrolled through his calendar.

It was silent for all of ten seconds, before his peace and quiet was interrupted.

"What are you up to?" Kai asked.

"Work."

Kai moseyed over to his side, peering up at the computer screen curiously.

"Do you have a lot to do today?" he asked curiously.

"I always have a heavy workload," Hiei replied.

"That sucks," Kai frowned.

"It's necessary."

"For what?"

"The good of the company. But mostly for my advancement."

"But you're already really successful," Kai pointed out.

"There are always higher levels of achievement," Hiei told him.

"Oh," Kai nodded. "So you want to the boss of the entire company?"

"Something like that."

"Is that your dream?"

"I wouldn't call it something as sentimental as a dream," Hiei replied. "It is more of a goal than anything else."

He wasn't content simply staying where he was. No, he wanted to go as far as he could.

"That's pretty cool," Kai admired and Hiei had to ignore the satisfaction that bloomed in his chest. Luckily for him, the moment was interrupted when Sayo knocked on the door.

"Sir? They're rounding up all the kids now. Do you want me to take Kai down to the tenth floor?"

Hiei nodded in response, before casting his gaze on Kai. The boy put on his best innocent look, but Hiei wasn't fooled.

"Don't wander off. Make sure you stick with the group," he warned him, fully well knowing just how curious and independent Kai could be.

"I will," Kai confirmed with an easy grin. "See you later. And don't be too mean to Haru!"

"Hn." That was easier said than done.

A few short hours later, Kai returned to Hiei's office with a bag full of candy, an oversized t-shirt with the company logo on it and a huge smile on his face. Hiei took him down to the cafeteria for lunch, not at all surprised when the boy insisted on a slice of pizza, before taking up a spot in the corner of the room.

Haru joined them and Kai recounted all of the games and activities they had completed. He recited some facts about the company as well - impressing Haru with his memory. Normally Hiei wouldn't spend this much time on lunch, but he decided to make an exception for Kai's sake. It was close to two-thirty, though, and he had to get going.

"I have a meeting across town. I need to be there in half an hour," he announced.

"Can I come, too?" Kai asked, looking up at Hiei with rounded and hope-filled eyes.

Hiei shook his head, mentally berating himself for the weak way he had hesitated.

"Professionals only. That's why Haru isn't allowed, either."

Kai's face fell in disappointment, but Haru nudged him.

"Aw, you don't want to go to those boring, stuffy meetings, anyway," Haru interjected. "We'll find better ways to occupy ourselves."

"Okay," Kai relented. "If you say so."

Hiei stood up from the table, looking down at the two of them.

"Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble," Hiei instructed.

"Aye aye, sir!" Haru replied, giving Hiei a mock salute.

Hiei shot the man an unimpressed look.

"I was talking to Kai."

Kai hid a snort behind his hand as Haru frowned.

"We'll be good, we promise," Kai guaranteed, flashing an innocent smile up at him.

Somehow, Hiei didn't believe them.

* * *

"Earth to Botan?"

"Huh?" She looked up to see Shizuru and Yukina staring back at her with mixed expressions on their faces. "What is it?"

"That's the third time you spaced out on us," Shizuru stated.

"I'm listening, I swear!"

"Right, that's why you're spending so much time playing with your poor salad rather than actually eating it," Shizuru pointed out.

Botan stopped shuffling around the vegetables with her fork and let out a sigh.

"You're right. I'm sorry, girls. I must be terrible company," she apologized.

Botan had traveled across town to meet up with the girls during their lunch breaks. They found a cozy little café that was the perfect distance between Shizuru's law firm and the hospital that Yukina worked at. It was a beautiful day, so they had opted to at the outdoor tables and take in the good weather. Things were going well for everyone, but Botan's mind kept wandering back to Hiei and the distant way he had treated her this morning. She supposed it was only fair after the way she had avoided him prior to the wedding, but she did not want to play this game with him anymore.

"What's wrong?" Shizuru asked. "You know you can tell us."

"It's really nothing."

"It might be good for you to talk it out," Yukina encouraged softly.

"It's just… I saw Hiei this morning he seemed so withdrawn," she revealed. "Granted Hiei's always been a aloof, but this time it was different."

"Did something happen at Koenma's wedding?" Yukina inquired.

Botan thought of dark hair and red eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. The contemplative and searching look in his eyes. The way he stared at her as though he was seeing her for the first time. It made her heart race and cheeks heat up.

"Well… I might have… sort of… told him what I thought about his relationship," she confessed.

Shizuru frowned silently, waiting for Botan to continue.

"But it was only because he asked me to," Botan defended. "You see, he was the one who approached me and nearly borderline ordered me to tell him what I really thought."

Yukina's brows rose in surprise.

"Hiei actually asked you for your opinion on the engagement?"

"Yes, I was surprised too," Botan admitted. "But he was just so insistent…"

"What exactly did you say?" Shizuru questioned.

"The truth. I told him that he deserves to be with someone that he loves wholeheartedly and who loves him back."

"Was he angry to hear that?" Yukina asked.

Botan shook her head.

"It was hard to gage his reaction, but he seemed to be more contemplative than anything else. He threw his guard up before I could really determine what he was thinking, though."

"I see…" Yukina said with a nod.

"And ever since then, he's been especially short with me. He doesn't seem angry, just… different."

"Well, I don't think you did anything wrong," Yukina consoled. "He asked for your opinion and it must have struck a cord with him."

"Yes, I'm sure your words opened his eyes and maybe even that stubborn heart of his," Shizuru supported.

Amethyst eyes widened.

"You think so?"

"I do," Shizuru maintained. "He might not show it, but he does value your opinion. You two do have a child together, after all, and something like that bonds you for life. You understand him in a way that we can't, because you can relate to a side of him that none of us can."

Botan nodded slowly. She sincerely hoped that she didn't ruin her relationship with Hiei and that he was doing all right. It wasn't fun being on the receiving side of the avoidance game and she hoped that things would get better between them in time. Even if her feelings were unrequited, she valued his friendship and she hoped that it would remain when all was said and done.

"Hey, isn't that Hiei over there?" Shizuru pointed a finger a few feet away, where he was standing on the sidewalk.

Botan's eyes widened when Yukina caught his attention.

"Brother!" she called out.

Hiei paused, looking over at the three of them. Botan's heart began to race nervously all of a sudden. She glanced over at the desert menu as Hiei began to walk over to them. Maybe she could hide behind that.

"What brings you here?" Yukina asked.

"I had a meeting in the area," he told her. "I was on my way back to the office."

"I'm sure you appreciated the slight reprieve from all of the kids and activities," Yukina said, before turning to the girls. "Hiei usually dislikes this company practice."

Botan could understand that. Hiei had little to no patience on a good day, so it was logical that he would be even more irritated than usual if there were a whole lot of children running around. Speaking of…

"How is Kai?" Botan spoke for the first time since Hiei's approach. "Is he enjoying himself?"

"I'm sure he and Haru are up to no good as we speak," Hiei replied, gaze cast off to the side much like it was earlier this morning.

"That's good to hear," she answered, somewhat disheartened by his obvious evasion.

All fell silent, until Shizuru spoke up.

"You better get back before those two wreak any more havoc," she instructed Hiei. "Botan's the best at hailing a cab. She should probably send you off."

Botan looked up, ponytail bobbing as she did so.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Botan surely has a knack for that sort of thing," Yukina attested, a small smile drawn on her lips.

Hiei frowned at he two women.

"That won't be necessary."

Shizuru nudged Botan and she stood up quickly, taking the hint.

"I-It's no trouble at all!" she stammered out, realizing that her friends were giving her an opening. Even if it was a rather obvious one, it was better than nothing. "I really am the best at this sort of thing."

She walking away from the restaurant, leading Hiei to the curbside before he could get another word in. She would only have a few moments to catch his attention and she wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

"Hiei, I-" she started at the same time that Hiei had begun to say something.

"Woman-"

They both paused, but Hiei was the first to speak.

"You go first," she said, suddenly losing her nerve.

"You should go back to Shizuru and Yukina. I'm perfectly capable of getting my own ride," he stated predictably.

He raised a hand when he saw a taxi coming from the distance and it pulled up to the curb before Botan could gather her bearings. When he moved to open the door, she grabbed a hold of his arm in an attempt to halt him. He looked at her in confusion and she quickly released her grip.

"Can we talk for a moment?" she pleaded.

His expression fell into a more neutral one as he nodded and turned to face her. Botan took a deep breath; it was now or never.

"I hope I didn't offend you when I told you what I thought," she started. "I realize that it wasn't my place. I shouldn't have-"

"No," he cut in. "I asked for your opinion and you gave it. You have a right to your own feelings."

She was taken aback by his fair-minded response, blinking slowly.

"I suppose so. I just hope that I didn't make things difficult for you."

"Hn." The corner of his lips curved upwards in a smirk as he stared back at her, something akin to fondness swimming in his crimson orbs. "Woman, that's all you've ever done since the day we met."

Though it was not a kind statement, there was no malice in his words and all she could do was stare at him mutely as he left. She did not know what to make of that encounter, but she hated herself for the way her heart skipped a beat when he looked at her that way.

* * *

So much for avoiding the woman, Hiei thought to himself as he returned to the office. He had no way of knowing that he would run into her on his way back from the meeting, but it seemed as though the universe loved to toy with him.

He considered it a success when he returned to the office and found that the place was not up in flames. As he walked over to his office, Sayo gave him a bright smile and Hiei was at least pleased to see that she had nothing bad to report about Haru, or Kai. He found Kai sitting in his chair, with his adult-sized suit jacket draped over the boy's body comically. He was nearly swallowed by the jacket, but he still managed to cross his arms over his chest as he stared at Haru with a stern expression on his face.

"Have it on my desk in one hour or else," he ordered.

"But sir, that's not nearly enough time!" Haru complained.

"I don't care," Kai answered dismissively.

"Can I bribe you with sugary drinks and snacks?"

Kai brought a hand up to chin contemplatively.

"Maybe."

Haru bowed his head in gratitude.

"You're too good to me, sir."

"Hn," Kai replied, fighting the urge to laugh at Haru's overdramatic antics.

"What are you two doing?" Hiei asked, finally making his presence known.

Kai's eyes widened in embarrassment but Haru rolled with it, like always.

"We're playing a new game we invented. It's called…"

"We didn't come up with a name yet!" Kai reminded him.

"Oh that's right," Haru remembered. "How about we call it: who's afraid of the big bad boss?"

Kai nodded his agreement.

"I like that."

"Alright, we were playing _who's afraid of the big bad boss_."

"I'm you," Kai explained, pointing at Hiei. "And Haru's himself."

"What?"

"He does whatever I tell him to because I'm the boss. And at the end of the game I choose if I want to fire him or not, even if he did a good job."

"That's not the way it works," Hiei cut in.

"It sure feels like that's the way it goes, sometimes," Haru teased.

"Hn."

"Did I do a good Hiei?" Kai asked.

"The best!" Haru encouraged with a wink.

Kai grinned. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the knock on the door and Sayo's subsequent entrance. She looked over at Haru somewhat exasperatedly.

"You've got Ruka on the line. She's been calling for the past hour."

"Oops… That is one lady you do not want to keep waiting," Haru informed, an eager grin spreading over his features. "I'll catch you guys later!"

"Bye!" Kai called out as Haru zoomed out of the office. He turned to Hiei, blinking slowly. "I guess you have to be Haru now."

Hiei's eyes fell on the boy in a no-nonsense manner as he crossed his arms over his chest and Kai seemed to get the message. He laughed sheepishly in response, shrugging out of the suit jacket and draping it back over the chair where Hiei had left it.

Hiei took his place at his desk, scrolling through his email as he addressed Kai.

"What did you two do to occupy yourselves?"

"Nothing much," Kai lied.

Hiei shot him an unconvinced look and the boy continued.

"…It wasn't anything bad… we just put those scary pop up snakes in a few people's drawers."

"Kai-"

"And left some whoopee cushions on a few seats…"

"Kai-"

"And pranked call a few of the employees…"

"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble?" Hiei admonished.

"Haru said it was okay. And he said that all the people we pranked were major jerks anyway!" Kai defended.

"Who were the victims of your childish tricks?"

"Um…" Kai's eyes rolled upward in thought. "Some guys named Risho, Kuro Momotaro, Zeru, and Karasu."

Well, Haru was right about one thing: they were all the people that Hiei despised. He shook his head. The damage was already done and there was nothing he could do about it now. Besides, Haru was the one who would be dealing with the aftermath, not him.

"The next time Haru attempts to drag you into his nonsense, I expect you to decline. Am I clear?" Hiei ordered.

"Yes," Kai answered obediently, though Hiei had a feeling that Kai would long forget this conversation when Haru tempted him with more mischief making. No matter, he would just deal with it then. He started to respond to a few messages, all the while feeling Kai's eyes on him.

"What is it?" he asked finally.

"Can I help?" Kai offered. "Sometimes Shizuru lets me help with her work, too, so I'm a pro at all of this."

Hiei raised a brow. Leave it to Shizuru Kuwabara to employ his son to take care of her menial and tedious work.

"That won't be necessary."

Kai's shoulders sagged in disappointment and Hiei frowned. He looked around the room and caught sight of the stack of folders that Haru had haphazardly searched through last week.

"If you insist on doing something, you can organize those. They're a mess."

Kai's eyes lit up as he walked over to them.

"In alphabetical order right?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll get it done in no time!"

Kai happily dashed over towards the manila folders, humming to himself as he began to sort through them. He had a good work ethic and he took pride in everything that he did, so Hiei knew that it would be done correctly. He spent a moment too long, watching as Kai toiled away at his task, realizing that perhaps this day wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Hiei's nose crinkled in disgust as he pushed aside a crumpled, empty bag of chips that was on the couch and took a seat. He did not know why he decided to waste a perfectly good Thursday evening at Yusuke and Kuwabara's apartment, nor did he know why he was currently subjecting his ears to their loud voices. The two were seated in front of the television playing a game that Kai had liked, yelling and throwing insults at each other.

Kurama winced when Kuwabara bellowed an especially loud shout, before turning towards Hiei.

"You seem troubled," he observed.

"There are a lot of things that trouble me," Hiei stated honestly. "Kuwabara's boundless idiocy, Yusuke's haphazard manner of going through life and your insatiable curiosity are just a few of many."

Kurama smiled knowingly.

"Call it what you like. It doesn't change the fact that I am concerned for you."

Hiei scoffed, shifting in his seat and pulling out his phone upon hearing the notification sound. Kai has texted him from Botan's cell, as he often did. Hiei had gotten used to it and saw it as more of a routine than a nuisance nowadays.

This time, the boy sent the entire group chat a photo of Botan holding open the pages of the latest manga that Kai was invested in.

 _"Doesn't this guy look like Kuwabara?" – Kai._

He briefly glanced over the page of the character in a basketball outfit, before setting his sights on Botan in the background. Her hair was in a messy bun and she was grinning so deeply that her eyes looked like two half moons.

"I saw you two at the wedding," Kurama started. "You made quite the cozy pair."

Hiei didn't even have to wonder about who Kurama was referring to. Not when he had been blatantly staring at her picture for a while now without bothering to angle his phone the other way. He grimaced inwardly as he pocketed the device.

"I'm surprised you managed to notice anything other than Shizuru," Hiei remarked.

"Your skills of deflection are as sharp as ever, but I'm afraid that it won't work this time," Kurama countered. "It might do you well to talk it out. Perhaps I can help."

"I don't need anyone's assistance, least of all yours. I'm perfectly capable of handling this myself."

Kurama raised a brow.

"So there is something that is bothering you."

Hiei's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Kurama always figured everything out; there was no use in hiding it. In fact, he was sure that the redhead already knew what was going on. His shrew mind must have already put the pieces together and Hiei knew that any further sidetracking would be futile. Lifting his gaze up to meet Kurama's, Hiei finally spoke

"What do you think of my relationship with Mukuro?" he asked.

Kurama looked taken aback and a small part of Hiei was a little satisfied that he could catch the redhead off guard. Hiei had rarely asked anyone for their opinion or advice, so his reaction was warranted.

"I think different things work for different people. If this union makes you both happy and fulfilled, then I support it," Kurama responded.

"And if it doesn't?" Hiei pressed.

"Then you should figure out what it is you truly want," Kurama answered cryptically. "Or who, for that matter."

The image of Botan softened by the moonlight invaded his mind. She was what he wanted.

But he couldn't—

He _wouldn't_ do that to Mukuro.

"I know that your honor code is a complex and intricate one, but you should be careful with how you proceed," Kurama advised.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hiei asked.

"You shouldn't tie yourself to someone for the sole sake of keeping your word. It wouldn't be fair to either of you."

Hiei frowned. Kurama was smart and wise by his own rights, but he could never understand the difficulties of the situation that Hiei was in right now.

"Kurama's right, you know."

Kuwabara's gravelly voice interrupted Hiei's thoughts and he looked up to see that the game was paused and the orange-haired man's attention was placed solely on him. Kuwabara was looking uncharacteristically serious as sat cross-legged on the floor, posture straight and charcoal eyes narrowed. Hiei knew that look. The fool was about to spew something unnecessary and idealistic and the last thing Hiei wanted or needed was Kuwabara's unsolicited advice.

"You shouldn't stay with Mukuro if you're in love with Botan. And don't you dare think of stringing the two of them along. That'd be a really low move, even for you."

Hiei's brow furrowed.

"What makes you think I'm in love with the woman?" he spat.

Kuwabara's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Hiei deadpanned.

"Oh come on, we all saw you two at the wedding," he teased, his expression melting into that goofy look that usually accompanied his talks of love and romance.

"Nothing happened," Hiei maintained stiffly.

"You guys looked pretty cozy on the dance floor," Kuwabara taunted.

"You're delusional," Hiei dismissed.

"And you're in denial," Kuwabara replied, before turning his nose up in the air. "But it's okay, not all of us can be as in touch with reality as I am."

Yusuke rolled his eyes at Kuwabara, before facing Hiei.

"I realize I'm the last guy on earth who should be giving a relationship advice, but maybe Mr. Warrior of Love over here isn't too far off the mark," Yusuke cut in. "Besides, what's there not to like? Botan's smoking hot, single and just about the only woman other than your sister who can put up with the real you."

Hiei growled irritably and Yusuke raised hands defense.

"All I'm saying is, it wouldn't be the worse thing in the world," he finished. "You can't honestly tell me that you haven't at least thought about it."

Hiei looked away, not bothering to deny it.

"…You're all far too meddlesome," Hiei said, effectively ending the conversation.

Yusuke shrugged as he turned back around to face the television and resume the game. Soon enough the sounds of intense gameplay were heard and the conversation and Hiei was free to settle into his own thoughts again. Apparently everyone was under the impression that he liked the woman as more than just a friend. Perhaps they were able to detect it because they were removed from the situation and could look at things from an unbiased perspective. But just because they saw the truth for what it was didn't mean that they knew what was best.

"We just want what's best for you, Hiei," Kurama said quietly, as though he had read his mind.

"I can take care of myself."

"We are well aware of that fact, but you certainly don't have to do it alone. That is what friends are for, after all."

Hiei scoffed. They were all so sentimental, but they did have a point. He needed to work things through with Mukuro.

Later that night he received a text message from her, indicating where and when to meet tomorrow.

Hiei spotted Mukuro first, looking as poised and confident as ever under the soft lighting of the room. He had made sure to make it to the hotel that she was staying at a few minutes earlier than their agreed upon meeting time, and he was directed towards the restaurant in the south corner of the building.

There was not a hint of distress or uncertainty in her expression as she met his gaze, but a sense of dread welled up in the pit of his stomach. He knew how this would end. It was inevitable and unavoidable, but he still found himself thinking of all the ways he could have prevented this moment from occurring.

"Hiei," she greeted.

"I didn't think it would take you this long to contact me," he said as he sat down.

"I was busy," she replied. "You know how work is."

He nodded.

"I heard you closed the deal with Goro," she continued. "I'm impressed."

"Haru did most of the work on that one. He and the CEO share the same brand of personality. They got along fine."

"He pulls through when it counts, I suppose."

"Hn."

He hated small talk and so did Mukuro, but he understood why she was indulging in it. Mukuro paused to take a sip of her water, before her folding her arms over her chest and leaning into her chair.

"Would it surprise you if I told you that I had made my decision long before I called you to meet me here today?" she asked.

"No," Hiei replied. "You were always decisive and final in your resolutions."

"I dragged it out this far because I was stalling. I admit, it was uncharacteristic and weak-willed of me, but I suppose given the circumstances it was allowed."

Hiei nodded.

"A week of no communication pales in comparison to the months I spent avoiding the truth," he replied.

"I suppose we both made our mistakes."

He agreed.

"You and I were never in love; that's what made this so easy," Mukuro said. "We understood each other and we worked well together, but our relationship was one of convenience."

"I know that."

"The fact that you care about another woman shouldn't bother me-"

"I don't-"

"But for some reason, it does. I never considered myself a jealous person. Perhaps I feel like I'm losing and I hate losing," Mukuro confessed, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "But you can't lose something that you never really had, can you?"

Hiei paused. This was it. The moment they had ended. Although, he supposed that their time had started to run out from the instant that they had agreed to their engagement.

"No, you can't," he agreed, deciding that if she could be honest with him, he could do the same with her.

"I wonder where that leaves us?" Mukuro mused, her expression stoic.

"I have no use for false pleasantries and occasional acquaintances, but I think you and I have passed that stage," he reasoned.

"Hiei Jaganshi, are you implying that we are something as sentimental as friends?"

"Don't trivialize it," he replied lowly.

"Friends," she repeated, as though she were testing the word out on her tongue. "I never thought I would have one of those."

Hiei silently agreed. Unlike the rest of the human population, he honestly never felt the need to be surrounded by people he could count on when he was perfectly capable of relying solely on himself. But a select few had wormed their way through his defenses and stuck to him like a thorn in his side. Though he never cared about Mukuro in the romantic sense, she had become someone worth value to him.

"I suppose there's no use in sticking around," she announced as she stood up. "You know how to reach me if you need me."

"I do."

Hiei followed her out of the restaurant, watching as she walked over to the elevator banks to make her way to her room. Mukuro did not turn to meet his eyes for a final time as she entered the elevator and he did not expect her to.

It was a truly clean break.

Hiei exited the hotel, stepping onto the sidewalk feeling strangely empty and unanchored.

At the start of this year, his life had been entirely mapped out. He had a partner who understood him, who understood his lifestyle and who had no interest in children. He was on the fast track to success working for Koenma. There were no complications. No uncertainties. No reservations. He thought that nothing could deter him from the path he had set out on, but he soon learned that life had a way of shaking him up whenever he had gotten too comfortable.

His illusory view of life and all that encompassed it was soon shattered by the entry of a cerulean haired, bright-eyed boy.

It was difficult at first, but soon, being responsible for the boy's well being became second nature for Hiei. And just when he thought he had found his footing, his universe shifted once more as he was forced to come to grips with the realization that he was harboring some very complicated feelings for the mother of his child.

It seemed like one thing after another lately and while Hiei wouldn't change a thing when it came to Botan or Kai, he was unsure of where to go from here.

* * *

"Can we get ice cream after dinner?" Kai asked as he strolled beside Botan.

"If you eat all of your vegetables," Botan bargained. "And don't think I didn't see you passing half of your veggies off to Kuwabara the last time we all had dinner together."

Kai looked away innocently and Botan shook her head.

They were all meeting at Yusuke's cart for dinner tonight, but she and Kai had purposely left early so that they could spend some time out in the fresh air. Hiei was due to show, too, and Botan hoped that they would be able to talk for a little while in private. She didn't like this new and stuffy atmosphere between them and hoped that things could return to normal. Even if she could not fully understand his relationship with Mukuro, it was clear that the other woman was a good person. That was all that mattered in the end.

"Hey, isn't that Mukuro?" Kai asked, as he watched the woman load a suitcase into the trunk of a taxi.

Botan's eyes narrowed.

"Is she leaving?" she wondered aloud.

"Wait!" Kai called out, rushing over to meet her. Botan hung back, just observing them for the time being.

Mukuro paused in her ministrations, looking a little surprised to see Kai.

"Are you going back home?" Kai asked.

"Yes, it's obvious that I'm not meant to be here," she answered, looking over at Botan momentarily. Botan felt strangely guilty upon hearing that and averted her gaze. "I don't suppose you and I will be seeing much of each other after today, Kai."

Kai frowned, looking down at the sidewalk.

"I thought this was what you wanted," Mukuro mentioned. "Why are you upset?"

"I don't know… I just feel bad," he admitted. "And I'm sorry if I was mean to you before."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

"Still… you're a nice lady."

"That's the first time I've ever been called that."

"Really? That's weird."

"Believe it or not, people don't usually take to kindly to me."

"That's their loss," Kai huffed.

The corner of her mouth curved upwards into what was possibly the closest thing to a smile that Botan had ever seen on her expression.

"You know… I think you and Yomi…" Kai trailed off with a grin, features turning cat-like.

"Stop."

"But he was looking at you all night!"

Mukuro crossed her arms.

"Yomi is blind. Even if he appeared to be looking my way, he couldn't see anything."

"Oops," he muttered guiltily.

Something close to amusement sparkled in Mukuro's eyes as she looked down at Kai. Botan figured it was safe to join them now that the two had gotten their conversation out of the way.

"Um, I…" Botan began, entirely unsure of herself. "I hope that your breakup wasn't because of us."

"Whether it was or wasn't, it was our choice to make in the end," Mukuro informed.

"I suppose you have a point there," Botan conceded.

The two women fell silent, until Mukuro spoke again.

"Take care of him," she instructed.

Botan didn't have to wonder who she was referring to.

"I will," Botan reassured. "Take care of yourself."

Mukuro nodded once as a look of sadness passed over her deep blue eyes.

"I always do."

And just like that, she was gone.

Botan did not know what to think as she watched the taxi drive farther and farther away. She snapped out of it when Kai put his hands in hers and gave her a comforting smile. She squeezed his hand softly in response and the two began to walk towards Yusuke's cart.

She wasn't happy to hear that things had ended between the Hiei and Mukuro. She was shocked, confused and conflicted. She wanted Hiei, yes, but not at the expense of another's happiness. Besides, even though Hiei and Mukuro no longer wanted to be together, it did not mean that his heart would suddenly start moving in her direction.

Mukuro wasn't the emotional sort, but she must have cared for Hiei to some extent. Botan just hoped that the other woman would be all right when all was said and done.

"We're here," Kai announced, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked around and noticed that they were the first ones to arrive at Yusuke's cart. He stood behind the counter, grinning at them as he set up his station for their little get together.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Yusuke quipped lightheartedly. "You're doing that frowning thing again. Careful or you'll get wrinkles."

"Very funny Yusuke, but this is a serious matter," she shot back.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I think… Hiei and Mukuro just broke up," Botan revealed.

"What?" Yusuke's eyes were wide with shock.

"Yeah, we just saw Mukuro leave," Kai confirmed.

"Well, damn," Yusuke let out, rubbing the back of his neck as his brow furrowed. "I can't say I didn't see this coming."

Botan looked away uncomfortably.

"It was probably the best, though," he tried. "They're both smart enough to know what works and what doesn't."

"You're right," Botan agreed. She had to believe that what Yusuke said was the truth. It was the only logical explanation.

"Hey, look," Kai said, pointing over to one of the benches in the distance. "It's Hiei!"

Botan was surprised to see him seated down the way. His expression was unreadable as he stared out in the distance. Botan looked over at him wistfully, wondering what he must be feeling right now.

"Why don't you go talk with him for a while?" Yusuke suggested.

"…He probably wants to be left alone," Botan said, shaking her head.

"That doesn't mean he should be," came Yusuke's intuitive response.

Botan paused, tilting her head slightly.

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah, and bring him over here when you're finished. Me and the kid'll have your favorites waiting."

"Yeah," Kai supported, nodding up at her. "

"If you two insist," she relented.

Yusuke raised his hand in a mock salute as Kai gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Botan nodded back at them before taking in a deep breath and walking over to where Hiei was. She forced a grin on her face in an attempt to quell her nerves.

"Fancy meeting you in a place like this, Hiei," she started cheerily.

Hiei gazed up to see her standing in front of him and for a moment, the look he gave her took her breath away. There was a quick flicker of emotion in those crimson orbs, but it was snubbed out before she could make sense of it.

"Do… do you want to go for a walk?" she asked.

He stood up wordlessly and nodded. They had only made it a few feet away from the bench before Botan turned her sympathetic eyes on him.

"Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"…Kai and I ran into Mukuro. She was leaving."

"Hn," he grunted out. "So you know."

"Yes," she replied. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. It was a mutual breakup."

"Still, you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with her. You must feel some sort of way over it."

Hiei only nodded in response. She realized that he wasn't in the speaking mood, so she simply walked by his side quietly. It was a calm evening, the sun peaking over the horizon and casting a warm orange glow over the pink and purple sky. A cool, pre-autumn breeze ruffled through her hair and his clothes. She was surprised when he stopped halfway through. There was a contemplative look on his face, which was strangely absent of scowl lines for once. Just a hint of something in his crimson eyes, something that beckoned her to speak.

"Hiei?" she asked, wondering what was going through his mind.

"This is where you claimed that one day we would be friends," he recalled.

She remembered. She remembered everything when it came to him.

"I know."

Hiei paused before dragging his eyes over to meet hers.

"…I despised you back then," he stated.

"Yes, and you had no trouble showing it," she pointed out.

"But you were right," he admitted somewhat ambiguously. "You were there, even when I didn't want or need you. You told me what I needed to hear when it came to Mukuro. You treat me better than I deserve. I suppose all of that falls under the notion of being a friend. And I suppose you were right to declare that we would one day be just that."

Botan's heart might as well have caught in her throat with the way that it suddenly became just a little bit more difficult to breath or respond.

"You've made everything far easier on me than it should have been. You and Kai," he added.

"That's not true, Hiei. You've certainly put in your fair share of work. You've been a great father and even a great friend. Of course we would do the same for you."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Pretend as though I'm better than I really am."

"But you-"

"This isn't about me, this is about you."

"Me?"

"I'm trying to say thank you, woman," he revealed. "If you would shut up long enough for me to say it."

His voice lacked its usual venom and there was even something close to fondness in his eyes. It took her breath away and she forgot how to form coherent words for a moment.

"I'm not repeating myself, so listen well while I say this," he started. "I thought I could get by on my own. And I can. I have." He lifted his ruby eyes to meet hers pointedly, starkly. "But maybe I didn't have to. You and Kai have done far more for me than you should have had to and I don't intend to forget it."

Botan didn't know what to say, so she only nodded at him.

Even after all of the ups and downs and secrets and confusions, their friendship had made it through. And although she still had this pesky crush of hers to deal with, she was feeling lighter and happier than she had in a long time. A soft smile settled on her features as warmth filled her entire being.

She and Hiei were okay.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

I kept forgetting to mention this earlier, but Love You More will be coming to a close soon. There will probably be about 2-3 more chapters left and then it's over. :O I can't believe we've even reached this point, but hey, all good things must come to an end.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought!


	18. Chapter 18

Hey everybody! It's been just about a month since the last update and I'm sorry about that. Life is just crazy busy nowadays, especially with the year coming to a close and all of the holidays coming up. In any case, I hope you're all doing well and hope that this chapter can bring a little bit of H/B + Kai goodness to your lives. ;)

* * *

Things had settled back to normalcy for Botan and the others once she and Hiei had repaired their friendship. Yusuke's cart continued to be a hit with the locals and tourists alike, Kurama was making strides on his field, Koenma was living the good newlywed life with Ayame, Shizuru had just won another case and Yukina was looking to be promoted soon. And although Kuwabara was enjoying the last bit of his summer vacation, Botan could see that he was anxious to get back to his students. Hiei was still a menacing demon with a wicked tongue, but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

It should have been a relatively easy and forgettable day, but her mood was quickly soured during her visit to the office. One of the more arrogant and sexist writers for the paper made it his mission to tell her what he really thought about her column in front of a few others. Just thinking about it made her blood boil. Her fist curled around her empty glass as she looked up to catch Chuu's gaze from the other side of the bar counter.

"I'll take another one, Chuu."

"Coming right up, _Sheila_ ," he winked.

Botan was sure that he had to know her name by now, but he was always so friendly and kind, so she did not mind being called by what was his endearment for women. He set another mudslide down on the bar and slid it right in front of her with the finesse that only a practiced and experienced bartender could possess.

"Thanks!" she replied, brining the drink to her lips and savoring the sweet taste. She let out a happy little sigh and set the glass back down onto the bar, strumming her fingers against the counter as she surveyed the colorful bottles lined up against the wall. She probably should have called Shizuru to join her, but she did not want to burden the woman with her silly little moods. Taking another drink, she tried to expel all negative thoughts from her mind.

"You continue to surprise me," a familiar voice said. "I thought you were only a social drinker."

Botan nearly choked on her mudslide as she turned to face the person who had come up to her side.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed, orbs wide as they blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He took the stool beside her and loosened his tie. He must have come from work, and judging from his expression, it must have been a fairly good day. There was no irritation in his red gaze, nor were there his usual frown lines marring his face.

"I saw you drinking yourself into oblivion," he replied simply.

Botan looked at the three glasses in front of her and blinked. Two were completely cleaned out and the other was halfway empty. It wasn't that bad of a picture, was it?

"Oh, these are nothing," she replied with a dismissive wave.

"I told her to pace herself. They really sneak up on you," Chuu interjected, from behind the bar as he towel dried a large mug.

"I'm fine!" Botan insisted stubbornly, before taking a large gulp of her drink and looking back at Chuu. "In fact, I'll take another."

Chuu shrugged half-heartedly and moved to fulfill her order, but Hiei's glare halted him.

"Cut her off. She's done," Hiei directed.

"No, I'm not!" Botan protested adamantly.

"Yes, you are," he said with the same tone of authority that he used with Kai.

She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance as Chuu chuckled and went off to tend to some other customer.

"Don't be a child," Hiei rebuked.

"Maybe you shouldn't be such a... such a dad," she countered, folding her arms over her chest.

Hiei raised a brow and she realized the irony of her statement. Months ago, he was the furthest thing from what a father should be. And now, here he was, making sure that she did the responsible thing. She lost some of her ire, realizing that if she found Hiei down in the dumps at the bar, she would probably discourage him from drinking as well.

"It's called being an adult. You should try it one day," he countered, clearly unfazed by her attitude.

Botan sighed miserably, before leaning on the bar and resting her chin in her hand. Hiei was right; she was behaving like a child.

"What's wrong, woman?"

"It's nothing," she muttered, twirling her red straw absentmindedly.

"Tell me before I lose the patience and interest required to care," he tried again.

Botan drew away from her drink, lashes fluttering as she blinked at him. There was nothing warm in his tone but the glint of concern housed in his crimson eyes was more than enough to bring her walls down. She tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her chest and play it cool as she nodded.

"Since you asked so _nicely_ , I suppose there is no harm in letting you know. But you can't judge me for being over-emotional, okay?" she warned.

"Hn."

"One of my coworkers took the liberty of telling me exactly what he thought of my column and it was absolutely horrible," she revealed.

"You shouldn't have become a writer if you couldn't take a little critique," Hiei pointed out in that stern but unbiased way of his.

"I can! But Rando is the worst!" Botan explained. "He completely humiliated me and belittled my work in front of the entire floor and called my column a fluff piece with no substance or significance!"

"Is it?"

"Huh?"

"Is that what your column is?" he pressed.

"No! At least... I don't think it is," she stated. "Koto said that it's the most popular column they currently have and I've been getting a lot of fan mail and positive reviews."

"Then his opinion shouldn't matter," he replied evenly.

"...I guess..." she agreed slowly.

"Have more faith in your own abilities," he instructed. "If what you said about your column is true, then the opinions of one man are inconsequential. You shouldn't waste any time on something so insignificant."

His words sunk in and slowly drew her out of her funk. She straightened her posture, feeling her confidence return to her.

"You're absolutely right!" she agreed. "Besides, Rando has no room for criticism. His column is all about how to be smooth with the ladies, but in my opinion it's more of 'how to lie your way into a woman's pants'. It's downright disgusting."

Hiei did not respond, but he didn't need to at this point.

"He was probably just jealous of the fact that a mere woman managed to receive more followers than he has," she said with a triumphant nod.

"If you say so."

She grinned to herself, before looking over at him.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Hiei."

"Don't confuse it, I only bothered to come here because I didn't want you coming home drunk out of your mind and scarring Kai."

"Sorry to undermine your valiant efforts, but Kai is sleeping over at Amanuma's tonight," Botan informed teasingly. "I suppose your reasons for coming were unwarranted."

Hiei looked away uncomfortably and Botan's expression softened. She placed her hand over his with a smile.

"But I'm glad you bothered to stop by any way," she said meaningfully.

Hiei looked back at her and she wondered if she had said too much. Perhaps the alcohol and affected her filter and caused her to say something strange. Yusuke always said that her filter was the first thing to go when she was drunk, and then her personal boundaries followed. Pulling her hand away, she focused on her phone instead as she thought of a way to get herself out of her current situation.

"Well, would you look at the time? I had better head home!" Botan publicized sheepishly, feeling a blush begin to crawl it's way all over her face. She didn't bother awaiting his response as she put a few bills down on the counter and stood up from her stool quickly, desperate to get away from that piercing gaze.

Her getaway would have been as simple as that, had it not been for the way that the room suddenly began to spin. Her brow creased and she let out a quiet whimper when her knees buckled. She was sure to fall had it not been for Hiei's quick reflexes. He grabbed a hold of her immediately, one hand on her arm and the other on the small of her back. Botan was all but crushed against him, but she didn't dare push away in fear of becoming acquainted with the hardwood floor.

"Whoa," she breathed out, blinking slowly as the world began to return to its normal equilibrium. Perhaps she shouldn't have sucked down three mudslides in quick succession. "Those really do sneak up on you."

Hiei grunted and she could feel the echoes of it rumbling in his chest with the way he had held her so close. She flushed for an entirely other reason now.

"You shouldn't have had so much to drink," he berated lowly.

"I-it didn't seem like much at the time," she mumbled. "But thank you. I think I'm fine now, it was just a little dizzy spell."

Hiei let go of her and she took a step back to put some distance between them. Hiei's eyes were still on her, narrowed slightly as he examined her further. Botan was beginning to become uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his gaze, but luckily Chuu interrupted.

"Here take this," he offered, tossing her a water bottle. "On the house, of course."

"Thanks Chuu!"

* * *

When they stepped outside, Hiei noticed that the sky had already turned dark. The last vestiges of sunlight were smothered out and replaced by the crescent moon and a few patterns of stars punctuated the darkness.

He frowned as he followed closely behind Botan. The two and a half drinks she consumed were more than catching up with her and Hiei made sure that she downed the entirety of the water bottle that Chuu had given her before they exited the bar. He tensed when she nearly tripped over he own two feet, but then she righted herself with a giggle and continued walking. Her steps were a little unsteady, but she was still capable of walking on her own. Even so, he kept a watchful eye on her and remained close enough that he could intervene should clumsiness or inebriation take over again. He imagined the heels and pencil skirt made it even more difficult for her to walk in and he was tempted to tell her to take off those blasted heels, but he doubted she would listen to him. _Women_ , he scoffed, they always had to do things the hard way.

He kicked at a stray pebble as he walked on, wondering how his dull and boring day led him here. Chuu had called Yusuke, who then asked Hiei to take care of Botan. It wasn't like he needed to be at the office any longer, so he agreed. Though he had no idea how to deal with a drunken Botan, considering he had never seen this side of her before.

They had made it an entire minute before she stopped and suddenly turned around to view him. The streetlamps afforded enough light for him to discern her expression under the darkness of the night as she regarded him with curiosity swimming in her amethyst eyes and a pout painted on her pink lips.

"Why do you think they chose us?" she wondered aloud.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I mean… why do you think Kai's intended parents chose us specifically?" Botan clarified. "I was young and there really wasn't anything special about me."

"The cowardly doctor said that our samples were the only ones readily available. It was a matter of chance, not choice," he reminded her.

"Maybe it was based off of genetics," Botan continued excitedly, ignoring Hiei in the process. "I have been healthy all my life so maybe my genes are really impressive!"

"There are plenty of healthy people in this world besides you and I."

"Perhaps it was an aesthetic requirement, then," she suggested. "They wanted a child with a certain look, so they chose the appropriate parents."

"I doubt that," Hiei scoffed, looking out towards the darkened street. "Your coloring is strange and even more so on a boy."

"Hey, are you saying our child is strange looking?"

He could hear the indignation in her voice and his lips quirked upwards.

"No, he has my genes, too."

"Well, not only is the most adorable kid on the planet, but he's also incredibly smart for his age," she said, stating the obvious. "He continues to surprise me everyday."

"Again - he does have my genes," Hiei repeated.

"Well, he must have gotten his genial personality and sense of humor from me," Botan reasoned with a decisive nod.

Hiei made a noise of disagreement but did not say a word. They continued walking again, but he could feel that the conversation was not entirely over yet. The woman was always a bit of a mystery to him and now that she was under the influence of a few drinks, she was even more so of an enigma. Her expression suddenly turned somber, all traces of mirth gone from her face as the light in her eyes was replaced by a far off look.

"I've never had a family or a place belong to," she began. "But with him it just feels right."

He glanced over at her, brows furrowing at the unfamiliarity of the sadness in her eyes.

"You probably wouldn't understand. You've got your career, your success and your whole life is generally in order, but it's different for me," Botan revealed. "Before him, I had nothing. And I did nothing to deserve any credit for the boy he is now, but he is still my greatest accomplishment."

An image of Kai, smiling up at him with adoration written all over his face flashed in Hiei's mind and he forced down the wave of emotion that threatened to rise. He knew exactly how she felt and no words could ever do it justice.

"Do you want to know a secret?" she asked, staring at him with a strange twinkle in her amethyst eyes.

"Not really, but I know that won't stop you," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets in a resigned manner.

A grin stretched over her lips as she motioned for him to come closer with her index finger. Hiei gave her a flat look in response, stubbornly refusing to play into her antics with a single shake of his head. Botan's determination did not waver, in fact, the mischief in her expression increased tenfold. She grabbed a hold of his black tie, pulling him in closer until he was only a few inches away. His eyes inadvertently lowered to her lips and when he realized what he was doing, he lifted his gaze to meet her eyes instead.

"I'm glad that you're his father," she confessed quietly, as though it was some weighty secret that should have never been let out. She released his tie to poke him in the chest, right over his heart and something twisted within him at that moment. "I like spending time with you, too."

He looked away, trying to push away the pesky feeling that had risen beneath his chest as he took a step back. This wasn't the time for any of this. She was intoxicated and surely whatever she was saying was only conjured by the alcohol.

"Well?" she pressed, planting her hands on her waist and looking at him expectantly. "Aren't you glad that you've got little old me to help you out, too?"

If only she knew exactly how much he appreciated the fact that she was the one at his side. In fact, that was the root of his current dilemma. He did not have the chance to respond as a familiar, gravelly voice grated at his nerves.

"Hey guys!"

Hiei turned to see Kuwabara and Yukina walking towards them.

"Kuwabara! Yukina!" Botan addressed the two of them with more enthusiasm and volume than the situation called for.

Hiei winced.

"Shut up, woman, at this rate the entire neighborhood will hear you."

"Oops," she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand sheepishly.

Kuwabara and Yukina confused exchanged looks before turning towards Botan.

"Is she drunk?" Kuwabara asked, directing his question towards Hiei.

"Not drunk. Maybe a little tipsy," Botan answered, index finger raised informatively.

Kuwabara snorted.

"Better be careful, shrimp. Urameshi says she gets handsy when she's drunk," Kuwabara whispered to him.

"So I've noticed," he replied gruffly.

Shock seized Kuwabara's entire frame before he bended over in a fit of laughter.

"Oh boy, I've gotta tell Urameshi about this!" he guffawed, slapping a hand against his knee. "What did she do this time?"

"Nothing because I'm not handsy!" Botan replied with an indignant frown.

"Yeah, and I'm big-foot," Kuwabara quipped.

"You two do bear an uncanny resemblance," Hiei muttered.

"Oh, bite my ankles, shorty!" Kuwabara yelled angrily.

Hiei glared back at him, fists itching to connect to the idiot's jaw. He took a step forward, but Yukina intervened.

"Kazuma, Hiei, please, this isn't the time," she interrupted softly.

Kuwabara's shoulders fell, entire body losing the will to fight as he looked down at Yukina regretfully.

"I'm sorry my love!"

"Hn." Hiei grunted, looking away.

Once Yukina was sure that both of them had backed down, she turned her attention towards the bluette.

"Is everything okay, Botan? You're not the type to over-drink," Yukina started, concern swimming in her ruby orbs.

"Everything's just peachy, dear!" Botan replied with a bright grin. "Your brother gave me a little pep-talk and now it's all water under a very high bridge."

"I see. Well, would you like me to stay with you tonight?" Yukina asked.

"That's sweet, hun, but I wouldn't want to interrupt your romantic evening with Kuwabara," she replied, causing Hiei to scowl. "I'll be just fine."

"It's really no trouble," Yukina tried, looking over at Hiei for support.

He shook his head.

"Let the clown see you home," he instructed. "I live closer, it will be easier for me to handle this."

Yukina nodded in understanding and looked up at Kuwabara. Normally, the orange-haired man would have bristled at Hiei's name for him, but he was strangely calm about it.

"Heh, I'm sure shorty will take real good care of Botan," Kuwabara muttered to Yukina, a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, I'm sure he will," Yukina agreed with a gentle smile.

Hiei's eyes widened a fraction in surprise as he looked over at Yukina. He did not expect for her to join in on Kuwabara's juvenile mocking. Luckily for him, Botan missed out on the tail end of the conversation because she was too busy playing with the strap on her purse.

"Make sure she drinks plenty of water and has something hearty to eat if she can stomach it," Yukina advised him.

Hiei nodded.

"I'll talk to you both tomorrow. Goodnight," Yukina finished.

"Goodnight!" Botan replied, waving at their backs.

Hiei frowned as he watched them go their way. He could not stand the thought of his sister paired with Kuwabara of all people, but there was little to nothing he could do about it now.

"Come on," Hiei urged as he walked forward.

He purposely took the longest most roundabout route home, and if Botan noticed it, she did not comment on it. He figured the fresh air and slight exercise would be good for her current state and she followed him around dutifully, filling the silence with little comments or random babbling about this and that. All of her ramblings were lighthearted and inconsequential and he was glad that she did not delve into any heavy and introspective discussions, like their previous one about Kai. When they arrived at her door, she pulled her key from her purse and she turned to face him.

"Thanks for seeing me back, Hiei, I can take it from here."

He should have let her be, but something stopped him. Perhaps it was his honor-code or maybe it was the fact that he actually cared about her wellbeing; whatever it was, he knew that he could not leave just yet. She had nursed him back to health. She stood up to his father. She gave him more chances than he deserved. This was nothing in comparison.

"I'm coming in," he stated firmly.

"But-"

"This isn't up for debate," he said.

"Oh, alright. Arguing with you gets me nowhere anyway," she relented, unlocking the door and passing into the apartment. "Make yourself at home."

"Hn."

After removing her heels and dropping her purse on the table, she disappeared into her room. He remembered what Yukina had said, so he walked over to the kitchen in order to find her something to eat. He could hear the shower running as he rummaged through the fridge for something suitable and eventually settled on making scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. He waited until he heard the water turn off to actually start cooking the eggs and bacon and by the time he had finished, she stepped out of the bathroom.

"It smells delicious. If I had known you were cooking, I would have put in an order," Botan teased as she entered the kitchen in a matching set of dark-purple pajamas. Her hair was braided now and Hiei figured if she had enough dexterity to do that, she must be a little better off than she was upon leaving the bar.

"This isn't for me," Hiei said as he passed the plate over to her hands, ignoring the tingling in his fingertips as they brushed against hers. "If you intend on lessening your chances of a hangover tomorrow, you'll eat that now."

Her brows rose under her bangs and she nodded slowly, taking a seat at the dining table. "Thank you."

He sat opposite from her and pulled out his phone in lieu of answering. Yukina had already texted him to see if everything was all right and he answered her quickly. The second message he received came in the form of a useless ' _don't do anything that I wouldn't do_ ' text from Yusuke and Hiei glared at the screen. The oaf must have run his big mouth already.

"Mm, if I was rich, I'd hire you as a personal chef. You're really good."

"It's only eggs," he replied.

"That still doesn't change the fact that they're delicious."

"You're only saying that because you're drunk."

"I keep telling you all that I'm not drunk!" she protested with a pout. "Just a little tipsy. Besides, I have more than enough cognition left to know what I'm saying."

Hiei supposed she had a point. She certainly wasn't acting as giddy or unpredictable as before, so it was safe to say that she was doing much better. A decent amount of time had passed since he first encountered her at the bar and he was confident that she was more sober than drunk at this point. When he saw that she was finished with her meal a few minutes later, he stood up.

"I feel really badly that you wasted your entire evening on me," she lamented as she led him towards the door. "I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"That's not necessary," he replied, looking away as he slipped his shoes back on.

"Of course it is," she insisted adamantly. "I really appreciate what you did for me tonight."

"It was nothing," he dismissed, unsure of how to receive such gratefulness.

"Well, it meant something to me."

There was a note of emotion in her voice that caused him to remain where he stood, rooted to the ground and unwilling to look away. The woman had no idea what she did to him; she didn't even have to try, he thought almost bitterly. He was just about to turn away, when she did something peculiar. Her gaze fell away from his eyes and onto his mouth and if he didn't know any better, he would assume that she was about to kiss him. She stepped closer into his space and in the next instant he found her lips planted against his cheek in an innocent show of gratitude. His heart hammered in his chest and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the shape and softness of her lips as she applied the lightest pressure against his cheek. She smelled sweet like flowers or berries or honey or something equally as girly, but distinctive to her alone, and while he had never cared for sweet in any sense of the word, it was drew him in because it was _her_. The moment seemed to stretch forever, although in reality, he knew it only lasted for a moment. He kept his arms at his side, resisting the urge to hold her back when she began to pull away.

A mask of indifference covered his expression and he kept his expression steadfast and even as he stared back at her.

"Don't make it a habit of going to the bar alone," he instructed.

"I won't," she promised. "You get home safely now."

As he turned to walk away, he could still feel the imprint of her lips against his skin, seared and locked away in his memory.

Later that night they both lay awake, neither knowing just how big of a part they filled in the other's heart.

* * *

Kai returned home the following afternoon. As much as he loved spending the night at Amanuma's place, it always felt good to come back to Botan. The scent of something sweet wafted through the apartment and he saw her standing in the kitchen wearing the superhero apron that Yusuke bought for her birthday. Her back was turned to him and she must not have heard him enter, because she continued working away.

"Hey mom," Kai greeted as he toed off his sneakers. "I'm back."

Botan froze, shoulders tensing as she turned around to view him slowly. Amethyst eyes were filled with an emotion that he couldn't easily identify and Kai threw a hand over his mouth, realizing what he had just said.

"I…" He choked on the words as embarrassment rose and tinted his cheeks pink. He had thought of calling her that many times before, but he never acted on it in fear of how she would react. He couldn't believe that he had been so careless. He should have never-

"You called me mom," Botan said quietly, almost unbelievingly.

"It just slipped out…" he tried to explain, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he stared down at the floor. He lifted his gaze back up to meet hers as his heart pounded fearfully in his chest, but he was wholly surprised to see the way that Botan's expression shifted.

"I wondered if you would ever… but I didn't want to push you…" she trailed off, a smile breaking out over her face.

"You mean, you don't mind?" Kai asked, taking a step closer towards her as a wave of relief washed over him.

"Of course not," Botan answered, shaking her head. She bent down to view him at eye-level with a warm smile painting her features. "In fact, I was hoping that you would feel comfortable enough to call me that one day."

"Really?" he asked, brows lifted in surprise.

"Really," Botan echoed, amethyst eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Okay… _mom_ ," he tried again, the word completely foreign as he let it play off of his lips.

Botan's smile brightened and Kai felt himself matching her expression as a weight lifted off of his chest. She pulled him in for a hug and Kai brought his small arms to circle around her as well, glad that her reaction was so favorable. A few moments later she pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

"I think I'm getting more emotional with age," she chuckled.

"Yusuke says you're always emotional," he pointed out innocently.

"Well, I suppose that's true, too," Botan agreed as she stood up. "So, tell me, did you have fun with Amanuma yesterday?"

"Yeah! We watched some movies and played lots of video games after," he answered excitedly.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"What about you?"

"It was a very productive day. I tried a new recipe, rearranged my closet, and went to the office for a bit. Then I..." she trailed off, entire face flushing.

"You what?" Kai asked.

"I just spent some time with Hiei, is all," she replied.

A sly smirk stretched over Kai's lips as Botan turned back around to resume her meal prep by the counter. Although he had paused in his little matchmaking schemes, he was more than thrilled to see that Botan still got all pink and funny whenever Hiei was mentioned.

"Are we still having dinner with him tonight?" Kai asked, hands behind his head as he looked up at her.

"Huh?"

"You said we could all have dinner together before I go to his house tonight."

"You sure are leaving me a lot," Botan pouted. "Yesterday was Amanuma's and now you're off to Hiei's."

"I can stay if you want," Kai said. "Or you can sleepover, too, like last time!"

Botan laughed nervously, turning scarlet at his suggestion.

"That's sweet, but I'll be okay. Besides, last time was under special circumstances."

"Aw, okay," he relented.

"Speaking of dinner, have you figured out where you want to go?"

"Yeah! That place Hiei took me to the first time."

"It was that good, huh?"

"I think you'll really like it," he said.

"I'm sure I will," she agreed.

Kai took a few steps closer to the counter, tippy-toeing and leaning over to see what Botan as working on.

"What are you making? It smells really good," he said as he leaned in to see what she was doing.

"Well, I've got some brownies baking in the oven and now I'm trying my hand at a recipe for sukiyaki that Yukina gave to me."

"Brownies?" Kai's eyes lit up as he skittered over to the oven and peeked through the window.

"Those are for after lunch, so don't even think about sampling it until then, mister," she declared.

He wilted, putting on his cutest pout.

"Not even one tiny bite?" he asked.

"Ooh, you're good," Botan commended, placing her hands on her hips. "Fortunately for me I am 99.9% immune to the power of your cuteness."

"Aw man," Kai sighed, snapping his fingers in disappointment. He'd have to try better next time.

Botan chuckled, shaking her head at him fondly.

"Go wash up," she told him. "Lunch will be ready in a jiffy."

"'Kay," Kai replied. He walked over to his room and put his backpack down on the floor. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he flopped down on his bed and stared up at his ceiling, wondering how he got so lucky.

Sometimes, it was hard for him to believe that this was his life now. His parents were the best. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Shizuru, Yukina and Haru were, too. He had friends now. He had family. He had a home. He had way more than he thought he would when he first set out to find his birth parents.

That's why he decided right then and there that even if his parents remained separated for the rest of his life, it was more than enough. If nothing ever came out of his scheming, he would have to give it up. But it was still too early to call it quits and he resolved to keep trying until he had exhausted all his efforts.

...

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. Botan was still getting ready, so Kai discarded his book on the table and ran over to let Hiei inside. He was grinning when he saw Hiei, who was still dressed in his work slacks and a button-down shirt.

"Hi Hiei!" he waved.

Although Hiei nodded back at him with much less enthusiasm, it didn't dampen Kai's spirits. Crimson eyes did a quick scan around the empty apartment, before landing back on Kai.

"Mom's almost ready," he explained, somehow always knowing what Hiei wanted from him without any words exchanging between them.

"Did you choose a restaurant?" Hiei asked.

"Can we go to that place you took me to the first time?" Kai asked. "The Italian one?"

"Fine," Hiei complied, before taking a seat on the couch. Kai hopped on right next to him, turning to view the black-haired man with an impish look.

"What?" Hiei asked.

"Did something happen yesterday?" Kai asked.

Hiei raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"With you and mom?" Kai tried.

Hiei frowned slightly, crimson eyes glancing over at Botan's room door before settling on Kai.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"Nothing," Kai answered honestly. "But Kurama says I'm really intu—um, _in-too-a_ -"

"Intuitive," Hiei filled in.

"Right. He says I'm really intuitive for my age and I have a feeling something happened," Kai proclaimed, puffing his chest out proudly.

"Your little _feeling_ is off the mark," Hiei negated firmly. "Nothing happened."

"Are you sure?" Kai teased.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."

Kai frowned petulantly, before poking Hiei's arm repeatedly.

"But you like her don't you?" he asked quietly.

Hiei swatted his hand away and glared at the boy.

"…Where did you get that misguided idea?"

"You aren't with Mukuro anymore because you like mom, right?" Kai clarified, shuffling a little closer towards Hiei as he whispered.

"Mukuro and I separated for reasons beyond your understanding," Hiei finished. "If that idealistic oaf or the perverted cook told you otherwise, it would do you well to ignore them."

"Kuwabara and Yusuke didn't tell me anything…" Kai replied in confusion.

Hiei mentally cursed, seeing the wheels in the boy's head turn. Purple eyes brightened with excitement as he let out a gasp.

"Do they think the same thing, too?" Kai questioned. "If everybody else thinks the same, then it's got to be true!"

"Just drop it."

"But-"

"Kai…" he ground out warningly.

Before Kai had the chance to pester him any further, Botan exited her room. Her eyes rounded when she saw Hiei sitting on the couch and then her cheeks dusted with that familiar pink color again. She looked really pretty in her mauve dress, and Hiei must have thought so, too, with the way he was staring back at her. The entire apartment was silent for a few moments, until they both looked away from each other.

Kai smirked to himself. Something totally happened.

* * *

Fortunately for Hiei, Kai dropped the subject of Hiei's affections for Botan the moment Botan entered the living area. Dinner went by as normally as possible with Kai chattering on for most of their meal, recounting seemingly every thing that happened during the past few days with the excited air and innocence that only a child could possess. As the boy chattered on in a way that could only rival his mother, a nagging feeling entered through the back of Hiei's mind. If even an innocent and naïve child like Kai could deduce that Hiei possessed feelings for Botan, what was stopping the woman in question from realizing it as well? He glanced over at her as she watched Kai devour the dessert that he had previously insisted they all share.

"Aren't you going to have some, Hiei?" Kai asked.

Hiei wasn't a fan of sweets, but he scooped up a small spoonful of vanilla ice cream and ate it to appease the boy any way.

"S'good, right?" Kai asked.

"It's a recipe for diabetes," Hiei replied.

"A little indulgence never hurt," Botan sing-songed, before picking up her spoon and taking a scoop that was drenched in chocolate fudge.

Kai watched as Botan ate her portion and made a noise of appreciation.

"See, told you it was good!" he said.

"Is this what you had last time?" she questioned.

"Yup," Kai answered with a nod. He went to dig for another sugarcoated scoop when he paused, tilting his head curiously as he looked up at Hiei. "Don't you want more?"

"I'm full," he declined, resting his spoon on their shared plate.

Kai shrugged and feasted his eyes upon the dessert again.

"More for me, then!"

He began shoveling the ice cream in his mouth and Botan giggled.

"Slow down or else you'll get brain-freeze," she warned.

Kai swallowed a large scoop of ice cream and licked his lips.

"I think I'm immune to it," he said. "Yukina's the same way."

"Now that you mention it, the cold never seems to affect either of you that much," Botan noted with an impressed nod.

"Mhm," Kai agreed. Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted by the laughter that erupted over the table a little further down. Kai's expression lit up as he pointed his spoon in the direction of the lively bunch. "Hey, Haru's here!"

Hiei turned to see the orange-haired man seated at a booth with some of their coworkers. He was in the middle of spinning one of his over dramatized stories and the rest of the group was hanging on his every word, only fueling Haru's theatrics.

"Can I go say hi?" Kai asked.

Hiei bit back his automatically negative response. Kai had taken quite the liking to Haru and Hiei wasn't surprised. Haru was even more of a child than Kai was. The two got along too well, in Hiei's opinion.

"I don't see why not," Botan encouraged.

"Just make sure he doesn't come over here," Hiei warned. He didn't want to have to see any more of Haru than necessary, even if Kai clearly felt otherwise.

Kai grinned as he hopped off of his seat and moseyed over to Haru's table. The man smiled when he saw Kai and then waved over at the two of them. Botan waved back and Hiei only grunted. Botan twisted back around in her seat to face Hiei and without Kai as a buffer, the atmosphere changed and molded into something heavier and thicker. Suddenly Hiei was remembering silly little things like the feeling of her weight at his side as she drunkenly leaned into him on their walk home or the feeling of her lips pressing against his cheek. If he had turned his head a few degrees, she would have—

"About last night," Botan started, pulling him from his thoughts. "I'm sorry that you had to deal with all of that."

He met her gaze evenly, pushing aside the troublesome thoughts.

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle," he responded.

"I know, but still…" she said, looking down at her cutlery with an uncertain frown tugging at her lips. "You didn't have to do what you did, and I appreciate it."

It was silent for a few short seconds, until Botan looked back up at him again.

"And about that kiss... I hope I didn't upset you."

Hiei raised a brow.

"I know how you are over personal space and the like," she explained, still looking down as she wrung her hands nervously. "I'm usually a very touchy person and I guess my guard was completely down last night. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize over something so trivial."

Botan's head snapped up to view him in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

It didn't bother him nearly as much as she assumed it would have. In fact, it was the complete opposite of a bother.

"It's fine," he replied, even though things were far from fine.

"That's a relief," she sighed, her posture relaxing as she picked up her spoon and went for more dessert. "I feel much better now that that's out of the way."

At least one of them did, he thought as he crossed his arms over his chest. Unfortunately for him, he was still stuck with the knowledge that he had feelings for her; complicated, pesky feelings that he knew nothing about.

Being with Mukuro just felt like the appropriate thing to do. They both understood each other and worked well together. She was smart, independent and levelheaded. Everything seemed so easy and rational with her. They had gotten engaged because it was the logical course of action.

Being with Botan was the complete opposite. He never knew what she was thinking. She was emotional. Her base state was one of cheeriness and optimism. She was warm and affectionate. She teased and intrigued him. She challenged him in a way that Mukuro never did. They fought over anything and everything. It was so hard sometimes. But then it was also alarmingly easy.

"Hey," Botan started, waving a hand in front of his face. "Everything okay? You're frowning like you've got the weight on your shoulders."

His expression dropped, releasing the scowl lines that had alerted Botan to his inner turmoil.

"It's nothing," he lied. "Work related matters that don't concern you."

"Well, lighten up! You can worry about work tomorrow," she suggested in that cheerfully upbeat way of hers.

"Hn."

"Do I need to call Kai back over here to badger you into a better mood?"

"That won't be necessary, you're doing a stellar job with the pestering," he mocked.

Botan put on an offended look, letting out a huff.

"That's the last time I try to help you out, Hiei."

Hiei only smirked in return.

"But you know…I have a feeling he forgot all about us," she said with a pout, propping her elbows up on the table and resting her chin in her hands. "Do you think we're not his favorites anymore?"

"You're his mother, not his friend. You don't need to be his favorite anything."

"Don't pull that tough guy act with me, mister. I know that you're secretly glad that he likes you more than everyone else. Well, everyone else except me, that is," she teased.

Hiei grunted and looked away, gaze landing on Kai and losing some of its hardness. He knew that the boy loved them the most. They were his parents; it's what children did. But the fact that Kai had chosen to love them the most was more fulfilling than he cared to admit. He looked back at Botan when he remembered something important.

"He stopped calling you by your name," Hiei observed.

"It happened earlier today, actually," she replied with a gentle smile. "He let it slip accidentally and he was so embarrassed by it, but it felt right to me. I had so hoped that he would eventually get around to calling me mom one day, but it's a totally different thing to hear it from him."

"…"

"I'm sure he wants to do the same with you..." Botan noted. "I can suggest it casually. Unless you're uncomfortable with it."

"He's free to do as he wishes. I don't care either way."

"Alright," Botan replied, nodding in understanding.

Soon enough, Haru returned Kai to them and spent a few minutes chatting at their table, much to Hiei's dismay. He then paid for the meal – the woman tried to pay as well, so told her to cover their waiter's tip – and then they piled into his car. When he pulled up to the curb in front of Botan's apartment building, Kai broke off from singing an annoying pop song to look at Botan with big, pitiful eyes.

"Are you sure you have to go? You can always stay over with us, if you want," Kai suggested.

Hiei frowned, turning to Botan.

"What is he talking about?"

"I was only half-teasing him when I said that he's always leaving me for someone else's house. And he kindly extended the invitation for me to stay over tonight," Botan explained.

"That's rich," Hiei said flatly, no humor in his voice as he turned around to glare at Kai, fully well knowing what the boy was trying to do. "Especially considering the fact that the boy has no authority or grounds to invite anyone anywhere."

Kai winced.

"But she came over last time…" he reasoned, twiddling his thumbs innocently.

"Those were special circumstances," Hiei countered.

"Mom said the same thing," he muttered under his breath. "But now that I think about it, you never have anyone else over."

"Because that's the way I prefer it."

"Your dad's just a big grouch," Botan joked, winking over at Hiei. "But that's quite alright; I intend to have a nice, relaxing night to myself."

He noticed the obvious way she used his title as a parent rather than his actual name and frowned. He wasn't sure how he would feel if he heard Kai call him anything other than his name. Even though he certainly felt like a father, hearing it verbalized was an entirely different story.

"Are you really going to go?" Kai asked Botan once again.

Hiei rolled his eyes; the boy didn't listen to a thing he had just said.

"Yes, I'm really going to go," she replied. "You two have fun."

"Alright," Kai replied, leaning over from the backseat to give Botan a hug. "Love you."

"Love you more."

Although he had witnessed this exchange more times than he could count, that simple string of words stuck deep within Hiei, echoing over and over until they finally made sense. It was the root of everything; the cause and cure to his current dilemma.

He gripped the steering wheel as he watched her go. Everything aligned with a startling clarity and it all suddenly made sense.

The entire time, he loved her more than any of them had realized.

* * *

Whoop, there it is. Hiei finally sees his feelings for what they really are and admits that he's in love with Botan. It only took eighteen chapters, haha.

Hope you guys enjoyed this installment. Please drop a review and let me know what you thought. :)


	19. Chapter 19

Bet you guys didn't think I'd update so soon, huh? In any case, here's the newest chapter for your enjoyment. The guys are all wearing the same outfits as that infamous YYH festival photo in which Yusuke shoves cotton candy in Hiei's face. I changed up Botan's outfit, just because I could.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"Come on, Hiei, just tell me!" Kai whined.

Hiei was tempted to push the boy off of the couch entirely. They were supposed to be watching a silly children's movie that Kai had picked out, but the boy was more interested in harassing Hiei instead. Kai had taken to pushing and pulling at Hiei's shoulder in an attempt to wrangle some answers out of him, but Hiei was determined not to fold. As Kai continued to pester him, Hiei was not entirely sure of which option was worse: continuing the ridiculously foolish movie or having his son pry into his nonexistent love life.

"Mom's pretty and smart and fun," Kai said, listing out the qualities on his fingers. "You're not with Mukuro anymore and she's not seeing anybody at all. What's stopping you?"

"You have a lot of learning to do if you think that's all it takes to start a relationship," Hiei dismissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But…" Kai trailed off as a conflicted look passed over his expression. "You guys get along and you always have a good time together, so why not?"

"We get along because we are mature adults. There is nothing more to it than that," Hiei replied stubbornly.

"Are you sure that's all there is to it?" Kai pried. "Because I'm 85.7% positive that you like her."

Hiei wasn't sure where Kai was pulling these unfounded percentages from, but his unreadable expression did not waver as he stared back at the boy.

"Believe what you want."

Kai's confident countenance soon dropped into one of exasperation.

"Why won't you just tell me the truth?" he pouted miserably, tugging at Hiei's black shirtsleeve. "Don't you trust your only son?"

Hiei refused to fall for the boy's appeal to his sentiments. It might have worked on Botan or the others, but he was far tougher than that.

"Quite frankly, no. You've inherited the woman's trait of being a blabbermouth; telling you anything remotely confidential would be counterproductive."

"So, does that mean that there's something you're trying to keep a secret? Like your super secret crush on Botan?" Kai asked hopefully.

If the boy was one thing, it was untiringly determined.

"There is no use in replying," Hiei scoffed. "I know you well enough to know that you will continue to draw your own conclusions no matter what I say. But what I don't understand is why this is so important to you in the first place."

Kai tilted his head innocently; purple eyes wide and filled with honesty.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kai asked.

"Humor me."

"I just want you guys to be happy," he explained.

He ignored the twinge in his chest – a sign of just much he had changed upon meeting the boy – and looked down at Kai.

"That doesn't mean that we have to be _together_."

"I know that…"

"Are you sure that this is not a roundabout way of voicing your own discontentment?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps you see that your friend's parents are together and you want the same for yourself," Hiei reasoned.

"No, that's not it," Kai said. "I'm really happy with the way things are. I just think that maybe you guys would be as happy as I was if you were together."

Hiei's gaze fell away from Kai's as he contemplated the validity of his son's statements.

"…I see."

He had never really thought about being happy before. It was another foreign concept for him. The boy had little to no qualms in expressing such sentiments and he supposed it was Botan's influence on him. Hiei had trouble with it, though, and the sudden turn in conversation was not somewhere he wanted to go.

"It's getting late. You should go to bed," Hiei instructed.

"Fine, but this could all go a lot smoother if you just admitted it," Kai said resolutely. "I can help you, you know."

Hiei doubted anyone could help him at this point, much less a child. He was far past the point of remedy or return; he had done something as drastic as falling in love with the woman and he had no clue of when it even started. He could barely stand her when they first met, but over time she became more tolerable. It was easy being in her presence and, if he was being completely honest with himself, he had begun to want to spend more time with her than normal. She gave him the benefit of the doubt over and over, she provided him far too many chances and she treated him as though he was a better person than he really was. It wasn't fair. She had made it so easy to fall for her and she had no idea what she had done.

"Hello? Earth to Hiei?"

He snapped back to reality and noticed that Kai was waving a hand directly in front of his face.

"What?"

"You zoned out on me."

"…"

Kai's expression turned devious, a grin splitting over his face and lighting up his violet eyes.

"Oh, I see, you were just thinking about Botan again, weren't you?"

"Go to bed, Kai," Hiei ordered as he stood up to turn to the television off.

That wicked grin remained on the boy's face as he hopped off of the couch and regarded Hiei with one last all-knowing look.

"Sweet dreams!" Kai teased, before running down the hallway and snickering to himself.

Hiei rolled his eyes. He respected the steadfast way Kai kept his spirits and willpower about him, but the situation simply was not as straightforward and uncomplicated as he saw them to be.

Even so, the boy had a slight point. Botan was single and so was he. There was nothing stopping him except for his own inexperience and uncertainty. And that was something that he did not want to admit aloud.

* * *

A few days later, Botan invited the girls over for an afternoon of snacks and gossip. Kai had been hiding out in his room, reading the newest and thickest novel that Kurama had gotten him from the library, when he peeked his head from his room door.

"Um…" he started unsurely.

"Yes?" Botan asked.

Kai exited out of his room and approached the three of them with hesitant steps.

"Amanuma was telling me about a fireworks festival this Friday," Kai announced. "Can we go?"

"I don't see, why not," Botan replied warmly, before turning to Shizuru and Yukina. "What do you girls think?"

"It sounds like a wonderful idea. It's been so long since I attended a festival," Yukina stated with a smile.

"Me too," Shizuru agreed.

Kai's expression brightened considerably, purple eyes full of excitement and wonder.

"I've never been to one before," he revealed. "Do they really have a lot of games and candy and stuff, like Amanuma said?"

"More than you can imagine," Botan answered with a wink.

"It should be enough to satisfy even your sweet tooth, kid," Shizuru added.

"Awesome," Kai grinned, no doubt thinking of all of the sweets he would consume on that day.

"We might as well make it a whole group affair. Do you think the guys would want to go as well?" Botan inquired.

"I'm certain that they will be interested in the festival, too," Yukina supported.

"Yeah, my brother and Yusuke are still kids at heart, and there are a few activities that I know Kurama will enjoy," Shizuru reasoned. "The only one who might give us some trouble is Hiei."

"Hm… he would be a bit of a problem," Botan agreed.

"I bet he would say yes if you were the one who asked him to go," Kai suggested.

Botan's brow crinkled slightly as she gave Kai a confused look.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Kai grinned deviously, before returning to his room.

Botan frowned, before turning to the others in thought.

"Sometimes that boy astounds me," Botan muttered to herself.

"But he does have a way of being right on the mark," Shizuru acknowledged.

"Huh?" Botan blinked in confusion.

"I think what Shizuru means to say is that maybe you should be the one in charge of asking my brother to go," Yukina clarified helpfully.

"But… wouldn't he be more inclined to going if Kai asked. Or even if you asked, Yukina?" Botan supposed.

"My brother has a way of surprising us all when we least expect it," Yukina replied, a small smile tucked away in the corner of her lips.

"A-alright, if you say so," Botan agreed. "I'll be in charge of getting him to go, then."

"Then Yukina and I will wrangle up the rest of the guys," Shizuru decided.

Yukina nodded in agreement.

Botan thought of how spectacular it would be to attend a festival. It had been a very long time since she bothered to go as well, but when she and Koenma were kids, they used to go all the time. The lights, the games, the foods, the outfits – it was all so splendid. She knew they would all have a grand time.

"Oh, I just thought of the most wonderful idea," Botan said, clapping her hands together. "We should all dress up in festive yukatas."

"Botan…" Shizuru began to complain.

"Not another word out of you, young lady," Botan silenced. "It will be fun, you'll see."

"There is one flaw to your grand design," Shizuru began. "I doubt any of us have random yukatas laying around. I certainly don't."

"Then I'll simply pick some up for all of us. There's this new little boutique that I've been dying to visit anyway!" Botan answered.

"Well, if you insist," Shizuru relented. "Don't let me be the one to crush your dreams."

Botan grinned proudly. Now all that was left was convincing Hiei to go. He was a tough one to crack, but she was sure that she could handle it. And so, while Kuwabara had taken Kai to the park the following Wednesday, Botan decided to pay Hiei a surprise visit. She showed up at his office with a bento box and a bright smile.

"Special delivery," she sing-songed as she knocked on his door.

Hiei looked mildly confused as she entered his office. He set the file that he had been previously reading down as he looked up at her from his position seated at his desk.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to bring a nice and delicious lunch for one of my favorite friends," she replied.

"…For what purpose?"

"Can't a girl just drop by and surprise her good old friend?"

"No, she can't," Hiei replied flatly.

Botan set the bento box down on his desk and then placed her hands on her hips.

"I am appalled that you think my intentions are anything other than wholesome."

"I'd be a fool to think otherwise. Now, out with it," he ordered.

"Well, you see… there's this festival on Friday and Kai wants all of us to go."

"I don't like festivals," Hiei stated plainly.

"I had a feeling you would say that, but this will be Kai's first one. Surely you don't intend to miss out on something that important."

Hiei paused at the thought and Botan resisted the urge to grin. She had him right where she wanted him.

"Yukina and the others will be coming along as well, if that's any consolation. Oh, and I just invited Haru, too," she continued.

"That doesn't help your case."

Botan giggled at the way Hiei's expression darkened upon hearing his partner's name. For such a menacing and scary guy, he sure did have some cute expressions.

"Well, I'm sure it will be a nice night, regardless," she tried. "And it will mean a lot to Kai."

She could see his resolve breaking and in the next instant, he relented with a nod.

"Fine."

"I just knew you would agree!" she cheered, beaming at him. "Oh, and there's one more thing that I forgot to mention. We all decided to dress up in yukatas. You will too, right?"

"No."

"Oh, come now, Hiei. Don't be a spoil sport!"

"I refuse."

"But it's tradition!"

"I don't care."

"Kai will!"

"…One day, that's not going to be valid argument anymore, woman," he warned.

"Huh?"

"The boy will grow older and he will no longer care for such things."

"Well, I might as well use the excuse while I can, then," she said as a triumphant grin spread over her expression.

"Hn."

"Do you have a yukata? I'm in charge of getting them for the others anyway, so I could pick one up for you as well."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, looking over at the floral pink top she wore with a grimace.

"I don't know if I trust your fashion sense, woman."

"Oh, just leave it to me," she reassured. "Do you have any preferences in terms of color or pattern?"

Hiei glared at her stubbornly, refusing to give her the information she needed.

"If you don't let me know what you like, then I'll come back with something all of my own choosing…" she pointed out.

"Nothing loud or bright and no shades of pink," he replied immediately. "I don't care what you or Kurama say, there are some colors that a man should never wear."

"Manly men wear pink, Hiei," she disputed lightly. "But I understand. I'll be sure to find something that meets your approval."

Hiei looked good in dark colors, but he also wore white very well. She probably wouldn't get him anything with any crazy patterns or prints and she couldn't get him anything too bright, either. He was decidedly the fussiest one in terms of style and it would be a lot easier on her if he just came along with her. She paused as she considered the idea, looking over at him once more.

"Hey, here's a thought, why don't you come with me to pick out the outfits?" Botan suggested casually.

When Hiei did not respond, she continued.

"I was headed there anyway and the shop is within walking distance; it shouldn't take long at all."

He continued to stare at her strangely and she shook her head, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

"You know what, that was probably a silly idea. I'll just go alone," she resolved, turning to leave.

"Wait," Hiei said, standing up from his seat.

Botan turned back to face him, eyes wide in surprise.

"I'll go with you."

"O-okay," she nodded, a little shocked at his final decision. It was a little pathetic how her heart was doing little leaps and flips in her chest just because Hiei had agreed to go shopping with her. It was simply out of necessity, not because he necessarily wanted to. Still, she couldn't fight the way her mood had suddenly improved and the day seemed just a little bit brighter because she was able to spend some extra time with him.

* * *

Hiei wasn't sure how he found himself in the middle of a messily stocked boutique with an over-excited columnist. One minute he was going over a financial report and the next thing he knew, she was in his office, rambling on about festivals and outfits and the like. Although he acted as though nothing had changed between them, his mind was a swirling mass of confusion and uncertainty. He had only just come to terms with the fact that he was in love with her and now she was here, right in front of him, and he could not figure out what to do with these uncharacteristic sentimentalities.

He had only agreed to go with her for purely selfish reasons. Perhaps if he spent enough time and space in her presence, he could figure out the most suitable course of action. But the walk to the boutique was fairly short and the moment they had entered the shop, Botan was off in search for the perfect outfits. He had accomplished nothing and now he was stuck looking at disastrous outfits for a festival that he was roped into attending.

He followed her towards the back, where she immediately spotted a white yukata with black rectangles patterned all over that she claimed was perfect for Yusuke, along with a dark grey fabric splattered with busy black lines throughout the entire design for Kuwabara. Her eyes widened in glee as she held out an olive colored yukata with black leaves printed sparingly around the fabric.

"This will look lovely on Kurama, don't you think?" she asked.

"I couldn't care less, even if I tried, woman," he grunted out.

"Well, you're no help," she muttered, lips drawn into a pout.

Hiei forced himself to look somewhere other than her mouth as he spoke.

"I didn't come here to choose outfits for the others. I came to find one for myself."

"Speaking of, what do you think of this one?" she asked as she held out a dark purple yukata with pinstriped lines. "It's dark, regal and it will suit you well."

Hiei looked at the remaining outfits, full of unpleasant designs and colors and decided that the one she had chosen for him was not all that bad.

"Oh, and there's a smaller one with the same style. This would be so cute for Kai," she mentioned, as she pulled out the same design but in royal blue. "It's his favorite color, too."

"Hn."

"I suppose that's the closest I'll get to an agreement out of you," she said, as she walked over to deposit the five yukatas at the front desk. She placed her hands on her hips and looked towards the other side of the boutique. "Now all that's left is to find something nice for Yukina, Shizuru and myself…"

Botan had already begun to walk away while Hiei resolved to stay near the cashier's desk. He hated shopping and he knew just how particular Botan could be when it came to fashion. The woman's section was stocked with much more items than the men's and he knew that she could take all day if she wanted to.

"Shopping with the little miss, huh?" the owner asked from behind his desk.

"What?" Hiei asked, turning to the man in confusion.

"Yeah," the owner sighed wistfully. "I remember those days. You should appreciate it while it lasts. Now that I'm divorced, I find myself thinking of all those times more often than not."

Hiei frowned. He didn't ask and he surely did not want to know anything about the other man.

"In fact, I remember when-"

But Hiei had already begun to walk away, not at all interested in hearing about someone else's past romantic endeavors. He had his own problems to deal and if a stranger like the fool that owned the boutique, his own friends and his own son could see it, then he should have realized it sooner.

He should have known why his chest tightened when she was near or his heart pulsated when their hands brushed. Why he felt lighter when she smiled at him. And why he disliked it when any other man paid special interest in her. The signs were all there, but he was too stubborn to understand it. He supposed it was better later than never, though.

When he reached Botan, she was deliberating in front of a row of pink colored yukatas.

"Shizuru would look great in this…" she said to herself, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as she examined the peach colored material in her hands.

Hiei's eyes narrowed critically.

"I doubt the oaf's sister would appreciate something that feminine," he announced.

"She can afford to wear it," Botan replied, looking over at him with a grin. "She always did look stunning in this color."

"It's your funeral."

"I'll handle Shizuru, you just try to find something suitable for your dear sister, would you?" Botan suggested, pointing over to the row of blue outfits. "The sooner you do, the sooner we can leave."

Hiei rolled his eyes, but surprisingly did as he was told. He examined the mess of colorful fabrics and patterns before he caught sight of a yukata with icy blue flowers. His expression dropped and he reached out to procure the outfit.

"Our mother had something similar," he said lowly, as he turned to face Botan. "Yukina had always liked it."

"Oh, Hiei… it's gorgeous," she breathed out, passing a hand out over the cloth. "And it will mean so much to Yukina, too."

He only nodded in return.

"Excellent, now we just need on more outfit and we're out of here. We're making great time," she praised as she moved towards the lighter colors, in search of a yukata for herself.

They had found suitable wear for the others in record time, but Hiei knew just how particular Botan could be when it came to her own fashion sense. He had a feeling they would be here for a while. He glanced through the outfits half-heartedly and paused when he noticed a dark purple yukata. It was full of flowers and patterns and a range of colors that would suit Botan. Perhaps if he had just alerted her to it, they could be on their way. She must have noticed what he was looking at, because she suddenly moved to stand beside him.

"Wow, who would have thought that you had such a great eye," Botan commended as she pulled out the outfit he had just been staring at. "This is gorgeous."

"You like it?" he asked inquiringly.

"I love it!" Botan replied happily.

"Then there is no need to deliberate any longer," he said, dropping Yukina's yukata into her hands. "Let's go."

"Alright, alright!" she agreed, following him towards the front of the store.

When he made it to the cashier's station, he grabbed his and Kai's outfits and pulled his wallet out from his pocket.

"Wait, I was going to pay for those!" she informed, putting out a hand over his to stop him.

Hiei ignored pitiful way his heart sped up at the minimal contact.

"I will pay for my own and for the boy's," he stated.

"Don't be silly, I'm treating everyone," she said. "And that includes you."

"I don't take handouts."

"It's not a handout!"

"It isn't necessary."

"It's absolutely necessary."

"Woman-"

"-Must you always be so stubborn?"

"Yes, considering you're always so insistent."

"Hiei!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, young love. Such a passionate and fiery thing, isn't it?" the man behind the counter gushed.

"Huh?" Botan's eyes doubled in shock and she began to shake her head, ponytail bouncing as she did so. "We aren't—"

"If he wants to be a gentleman and pay for some of the items, I say you let him," the owner opined. "He should be splurging on a woman as gorgeous as you, anyhow."

"Uh, I …" Botan looked between the two of them, before relenting with a fierce blush lighting up her face. "Oh alright, you can do as you please."

And so he did. When he was finished, Botan took care of her items and then they exited the store together. She smiled at him as they stepped out into the sidewalk and .

"We made it in record time," Botan noted. "I told you this would be swift and painless and you've still got twenty minutes left for your lunch break."

Twenty minutes. That was more than enough to tell her the truth that was suppressed within. If he could just tell her, then it wouldn't weigh so heavily on him. If he just told her, then maybe they could get past all of this.

"Well, I had better go and deliver these to everyone," she said, motioning to the bag full of attire. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see them!"

"Wait woman…"

"Yes?" Botan asked, looking at him expectantly.

His throat had suddenly dried up and no words came out. He cursed himself for his indecision, before shaking his head.

"Never mind."

* * *

Botan stood in the center of the crowded festival, decked out in her yukata with her hair pinned up in a loose bun. Kai looked absolutely adorable in his outfit, and he was pleased to know that it was in the same style as Hiei's. Everyone with the exception of Hiei and Haru were already here. Haru was unable to make it, but Botan knew that Hiei would show eventually. She thought of their last encounter outside of the boutique and felt her cheeks heating up. He stared at her with that strange look in his crimson eyes – the one that made her heart skip a beat – and then that unreadable expression vanished with a shake of his head. She wondered about that little moment more than she cared to admit; trying to figure out what he would have said if he did not swallow his words. It looked as though it was important, but perhaps she was just being overdramatic. If it were really that dire, he would have just come out with it.

"This is the best!" Kai said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

He was looking around at the sights in wonder and Botan had to agree. It certainly was a sight to behold. The streets were vibrant and full of life, from the colorful get ups of the performers and guests to the decorated carts and stands. Lanterns and streamers adorned the various stalls and the people manning each stall all had interesting quirks and lively dispositions. Taiko drums pounded out fast paced beats as the melodious sounds of the fue flute whistled through the air. Singing and laughter resounded all around. It was perfect.

"This is your first festival, right?" Shizuru asked, lips quirked into an amused smile.

"Yup!" Kai replied with a nod.

"Then you've got to get yourself an obligatory mask," she continued. "Come on, this way."

Kai immediately took her hand and followed as she led the way as Botan watched them with a soft smile. To think, a few months ago Kai was so guarded and distrustful towards most people. He had warmed up considerably and opened up to all of them. He had come so far and Botan was immeasurably proud of him.

She spared a glance at Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were currently engaged in their own impromptu eating contest at the takoyaki stand, before following after Kai and Shizuru. He had just finished picking out one of those creepy looking oni masks and Botan grimaced.

"He gets that demented side from you, you know," a familiar voice accused from her side.

Botan turned to view Hiei through wide eyes.

"You came!" she said in surprise.

"I said that I would," he replied.

"And you even wore the yukata I got you!"

"Hn."

"Well, you do look great. I told you I would pick something that suited you well," she noted, a satisfied smile coloring her features.

"At least it wasn't pink," he agreed.

"How about me?" she asked, flourishing her arms a bit for added effect as she showed off the yukata that he had found for her. "Pretty cute, huh?"

Hiei's eyes raked over her form and the intensity in those crimson orbs made her a little self-conscious. He was silent for a moment too long as his gaze rested on her.

"Well?" she asked, her voice losing a bit of its confidence.

"The same as always."

Botan's pouted as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Way to be vague, Hiei," she muttered.

He grunted noncommittally in response as Kai turned to face them..

"Hiei, you made it!" Kai exclaimed.

He nodded down at Kai wordlessly.

"And you even got roped into Botan's brilliant plan of dressing for the occasion," Shizuru observed, pulling uncomfortably at her own yukata.

"Unfortunately," Hiei responded regrettably.

"Now, now, you two have no right complaining when you both look so good," Botan chided lightly. "Isn't that right, Kai?"

"Right!" he agreed with a firm nod of his head.

"Whatever," Shizuru dismissed coolly.

Kai grinned before pulling the mask over his face.

"Isn't this cool?"

"It's certainly _something_ ," she tried politely.

"Let's go show Yusuke and Kuwabara," he suggested, voice slightly muffled underneath the plastic mask.

"Alright," Botan giggled as Kai took her hand and led her back to the takoyaki stand. Yukina and Kurama were watching in amusement as Yusuke and Kuwabara finished their eating competition.

"Just like old times," Botan reminisced.

"You would think they would have grown out of some of these teenaged habits," Shizuru sighed.

Hiei looked on disgustedly, but did not comment.

"Kazuma Kuwabara clinches the win, again!" Kuwabara boasted as he gave them all a victory sign.

"Yeah, on account of that big mouth of yours. Must be easy to stuff more food inside of," Yusuke smirked.

"Oh, shut up, Urameshi! You're just a sore loser!" Kuwabara argued, before turning to Yukina with a sincere look in his charcoal eyes. "I told you that the power of your love always wins out."

Hiei's expression darkened, but Kai interrupted before he could say anything.

"Way to go, Kuwabara!" he cheered.

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked down and finally took notice of the mask on the boy's face.

"Hey, who's the creepy demon that decided to join us?" Yusuke joked.

"Yeah, I didn't know we had a newcomer to the gang," Kuwabara joined in.

Kai laughed as he pulled off the mask.

"It's only me," he said. "Isn't it cool?"

"Totally," Yusuke agreed. "We should get one for Kuwabara, too. It'd be a vast improvement over his ugly mug."

The two got into one of their many fights, and Shizuru turned away from them to address the rest of the group.

"Not that watching those two make fools out of themselves isn't fun, but maybe we should figure out some of the better activities in this place," Shizuru advised. "There's an awful lot of ground to cover and not much time."

"That is true," Kurama commented. "Perhaps we should split up and visit the sites that we are interested in. Afterwards, we can reconvene at an agreed upon spot and watch the performances and fireworks together."

"That sounds like a splendid plan," Botan agreed.

"Yes, I'd rather not watch my baby bro and Yusuke try to outdo each other in these rigged games," Shizuru drawled.

"Shows you how much you know, Shizuru. I'm going to be with Yukina at the tea ceremony," Kuwabara shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Yusuke and Kai both shot him confused and disturbed looks.

"Really, Kazuma, you don't have to come for my sake," Yukina began guiltily. "I'm sure you would much rather be doing something else."

He shook his head, grabbing her hands in his with a piercing look in his dark gaze. His voice was a few octaves lower and smoother as he spoke.

"That's not true, baby, I'm just happy being by your side."

Hiei's glare turned murderous and both Botan and Kai had to grab onto him to stop him from ripping Kuwabara's hands off of Yukina. Botan took hold of his right arm while Kai latched onto his left leg to immobilize him. It had been a while since Hiei had gotten this riled up and she figured he must have been in a crummy mood to begin with. The couple in question didn't even seem to notice; both of them seemingly caught up in their own moment and removed from the rest of the outside world.

Yukina smiled softly, nodding up at Kuwabara.

"If you insist," she agreed.

Kuwabara grinned goofily, before turning back to the others with a wave.

"See you guys later!"

Botan and Kai released Hiei once the couple was a far enough distance away and he shoved his hands in the folds of his sleeves angrily.

"Are you ever going to get used to the fact that you'll probably be Kuwabara's brother in law someday?" Yusuke teased lightheartedly, clearly unfazed by Hiei's sour mood.

"I'd sooner cut my own arm off," Hiei replied darkly.

"Better get used to doing things the one-armed way, then," Yusuke jested.

Hiei rolled his eyes and Kai beamed.

"I think it'll be cool. Then Kuwabara will be my uncle!" he piped up.

"That's right. We'll all be one big happy family, won't we, Hiei?" Yusuke quipped, clapping a hand on Hiei shoulders.

"You're all insufferable," Hiei griped, not at all enjoying their teasing.

Botan giggled and then decided to let him off of the hook, by turning towards Kurama.

"What are you planning on doing, Kurama?" she inquired.

"I was thinking of visiting the gardens if anyone was interested," he informed, emerald eyes glancing towards Shizuru.

"That seems relaxing enough," Shizuru agreed.

Botan smiled slyly, but Shizuru shot her a warning glance.

"Anyone else?" Kurama asked politely, though she knew he would much rather have Shizuru all to himself.

"Nah, my idea of fun doesn't involve plants and boring scenery," Yusuke declined.

"And I believe Kai had his heart set on playing games," Botan answered.

"I suppose it's just the two of us, then," Kurama said, turning to Shizuru with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Seems so," she replied evenly.

He held his arm out for her and she accepted it, before they walked away.

"Have fun, you two," Botan called out as they disappeared into the crowd. They were too cute, always skirting around their affections like that. Though she sort of understood where they were coming from now that she was crushing on Hiei. Falling for a friend and risking their friendship in the process was a scary thought.

"What are you gonna do?" Kai asked, interrupting her thoughts as he looked up at Yusuke.

"Me? I was just going to-" Yusuke's stopped mid-sentence as busty redhead passed him by. His expression turned absolutely lecherous as he eyed her openly. "I'll be chasing tail, if anyone needs me."

"Huh?"

Yusuke then took a moment to salute Kai, before wolf whistling at the woman and trailing after her.

"What does that even mean?" Kai asked, looking between Hiei and Botan curiously.

Hiei frowned.

"Nothing of importance," he said sternly.

Kai remained unconvinced, brows furrowing in displeasure.

"You guys never tell me anything," he huffed.

"Trust me, that was something that you don't need to know," Botan answered, shaking her head. She placed her hands on Kai's shoulders and led him in the opposite direction with a sheepish grin. "Let's go play some games, shall we?"

She didn't have to bother wondering if Hiei would follow them. She knew by now that he would.

* * *

The sun was setting, the sky cast in an orange glow as they continued to traverse from booth to booth. Hiei had never made it a habit to attend these things. He hated everything that came with crowds: loud noises, overwhelming smells, giddy teens, energetic children, exasperated parents and overexcited adults, but he supposed he could endure one night for the sake of his own son. The boy had been smiling all evening without any signs of exhaustion. It was a wonder how he was able to house so much excitement and joy within his small body, but Hiei had long learned not to be surprised by the many mysteries of the boy he called his own.

All throughout the evening he had insisted on trying every game that he could get his hands on. He had also filled up on street food and sweets, further fueling his energetic mood. As they reached the end of this particular strip, Kai sighted Yusuke trying his hand at one of the shooting games and ran over to him. Yusuke had drawn a pretty considerable crowd around him and they had to wade through a few people to reach his side.

"Whoa, you're really good at this," Kai said as Yusuke hit all of the targets effortlessly.

"I've always been good at these shooter games. Maybe I should've been a cop. Or a cool detective or somethin'?"

"I could so see you kicking lots of bad guy butt," Kai encouraged.

Yusuke sniffed self-importantly, Kai's words only serving to inflate his massive ego.

"I _would_ kick tons of ass," he contested with a smug grin.

"Language, Yusuke!" Botan scolded, hands on her hip as Kai snickered at her side.

"Oops," Yusuke responded lamely.

"Honestly, sometimes I think you forget that you're taking to a seven year old child with an impressionable mind," she berated, shaking her head indignantly.

"I'm almost eight!" Kai interjected. "And Mrs. Yoshimoto said that I'm practically a man."

"Who's Mrs. Yoshimoto?" Botan blinked.

"My assistant," Hiei filled in.

"Oh, that sweet woman who let me in the other day. She's absolutely darling," Botan stated, losing track of the point of the conversation entirely.

"Whoa, wait a minute…" Yusuke interrupted, turning to the two of them with a raised brow. "His birthday's coming up soon?"

Botan nodded.

"September 7th," Kai answered.

That was in just over a week, Hiei realized. It would be the boy's first birthday with them. He had no doubt that Botan was going to do something impressive for him, and Hiei could not fault her for it. They had missed out on a lot.

"Well, in that case, happy early birthday, kid," Yusuke said, before gesturing over to the row of prizes lined up in the back of the station. "Pick whatever you want."

"Wow, are you sure?" Kai asked.

"Positive," Yusuke responded.

"Thanks!" Kai said happily as he leaned over to view the many prizes.

The boy picked out a miniature-sized panda and Botan gushed over its apparent 'cuteness'. When Hiei said that he did not see the point of her overreaction, both she and Kai decided to name the toy after him. Hiei scowled; he could never win with those two menaces.

"I guess it's about time to start rounding everyone else up, right?" Yusuke asked, looking down at the time on his phone.

"Just about," Botan replied with a nod.

"How about we all just agree to meet right here?" Yusuke suggested. "Me and the little guy can go and get everyone, right Kai?"

"Right!" Kai agreed, much too quickly to be without an ulterior motive. "Mom and Hiei should stick together while we find everyone else."

"Kai-" they both warned in unison.

"Be back soon!" he promised as he ran off with Yusuke.

Botan turned to Hiei sheepishly.

"I guess it's just us now," she noted.

It was quite ironic that when with a group of six others, they had ended up completely alone. If he wanted to, he could have told her exactly what he should have said days earlier. But that lump returned in his throat and he continued to curse his own weak will.

"Just for the record, I didn't put him up to any of this," Botan stated.

"Any of what?" Hiei questioned.

"His little plan to push us together. Surely you've noticed it."

"The boy isn't exactly subtle," Hiei commented.

"You've got that right," Botan agreed. "But he is determined."

"I've noticed."

"And his intentions are coming from a good and pure place."

"…"

"But you know how children are. Once they get an idea in their head, it's hard for them to let it go. Even if it doesn't make any sense."

"Are you saying that you don't see the logic in his plan?"

"Do you?"

"I asked you first," he said.

Botan bit her lip, before answering.

"Well, I suppose I can understand the whole 'opposites attract' thing… and we do get along awfully well and we've already got a son together. I suppose it makes some sense when you think about it from that point of view…" she trailed off, before looking back at him. "What about you?"

"I'm undecided," he lied, mostly to get a rise out of her.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed. "That's not fair at all! You can't cop out like that!"

He smirked due to the irony of the situation. She did not know just how much he actually agreed with Kai.

"Do you really want to know what I think, woman?" he asked, more serious this time.

Botan was momentarily taken aback by the solemnity in his gaze.

"W-well, of course I do," she replied.

"Perhaps the boy makes more sense than either of us realize," he answered honestly.

Botan's eyes widened.

"Hiei… you…"

"We're back!" Kai announced, breaking the tension between them and ending their conversation altogether.

Hiei tore his gaze away from her reluctantly, turning to view the others instead. Kurama had returned with a white fox mask placed on the side of his face. At his side, was Shizuru, who was holding onto a small plant – which Hiei could only assume was gifted to her by the fox. Yukina carried a set of tealeaves in her hand as she strolled beside Kuwabara.

"They were already on their way back when we ran into them," Yusuke revealed, before pulling off a large strip of cotton candy and plopping it into his mouth. He then proceeded to lick his fingers loudly and Hiei's nose crinkled in distaste at the uncouth display.

"I'm sorry," Yusuke started in mock innocence. "Did I offend your delicate sensibilities, fair maiden?"

"I simply don't make it a habit of eating trash," Hiei countered.

"I'll show you trash," Yusuke sniped, shoving the cotton candy in Hiei's face.

Hiei growled before snatching the offending item out of Yusuke's grasp and shoving him away with his other arm. As Yusuke stumbled over his own two feet, Hiei brought the cotton candy down to Kai's eye-level, wordlessly offering it to the boy. Kai's eyes lit up happily as he accepted it and tore off a piece of the treat.

"Hey, he's already had one!" Botan stated.

"Yeah and that one was mine!" Yusuke accused.

"Too bad," Hiei replied as he walked ahead, nodding at Kai and giving him the green light to do as he pleased.

"Come on, little buddy, don't be heartless like your dad," Yusuke urged.

"Okay, we can split it fifty-fifty," Kai offered.

"One-hundred percent of it is mine!" Yusuke gritted.

"Sixty-forty?" Kai tried cleverly.

"What?" Yusuke exclaimed.

"The kid knows how to bargain," Shizuru commented dryly.

"That he does," Kurama agreed.

Yukina only smiled silently as Kuwabara outright laughed at Yusuke's misfortune. As Kai and Yusuke continued to squabble in the background, the first firework whizzed up before exploding and lighting up the sky.

"It's starting!" Kai announced enthusiastically. "Come on, we have to hurry!"

Hiei watched as the group went on ahead, but he remained rooted to the spot at which he stood. He couldn't remember the last time he had watched a fireworks show. He had never much cared for any of this, but here he was. So much had changed over the course of a few months. He had changed as well; and he supposed that finding a long lost son, breaking off an engagement and falling in love with a woman who was his complete and total opposite would do that to a man.

He had veered so far off of his planned path. Things were so different now, but he couldn't bring himself to wish for the way things were in the past. It was better now; he knew that.

The whistle, boom and crack of each firework seemed to reverberate in his chest, making him aware of every moment that had passed. He didn't need to turn his gaze to know that Botan had stayed behind.

"Hiei?" she asked softly. "Aren't you coming?"

Maybe it was the echoes of it in his chest or the look in her eyes that prompted him to act, but he knew that had to do it now. There was no reason to keep these feelings to himself anymore. He turned to face her, his expression calm and level.

"Botan," he started lowly.

"…Yes?"

He knew that there were many complications between the two of them. The two were as different as night and day, but both equally stubborn. Though they had learned to get along, they still had the tendency to butt heads at every turn.

And then there was the most glaring fact that they had a son together. If things went sour, it could prove to be difficult for everyone involved. Once he did this, there would be no turning back.

But even so, he still wanted to try.

"Hiei?"

He was not good with words, but he could show her exactly how he felt. He stepped closer to her, noting the way that the various flashes of the fireworks tinted her pale skin and highlighted the blush on her cheeks. From this proximity he could see the flecks of purple and pink in her eyes and the way her thick, long lashes fanned out every time she blinked. He dragged his gaze lower until it rested on her lips; it was now or never. He leaned in deliberately slowly, giving her the option to move away or voice her disapproval. Although her eyes widened in surprise, she made no attempt to distance herself. Perhaps she wanted this just as much as he did all along, and his mouth quirked upwards at the thought. Closing the last gap between them, he brushed his lips against hers. It was slow and experimental, and an almost electric heat spread through his entire body and set his every nerve on fire. It was never like this with anyone else; this was completely new and specific to her alone. The sensation was seared into his memory and he doubted that he would ever forget this moment. He pulled away to gage her reaction and waited for either a dramatic slap or a sputtering of confused words, but instead, all he was met with was shocked silence. She stared back at him uncertainly, mouth parted slightly.

"I wanted to do that for some time now," he revealed. "Tell me if I shouldn't have. Tell me to stop if this isn't want you want. We will forget about it and never speak of it again."

Botan shook her head as a smile broke out and lit up her expression.

"I think you and I might want the exact same thing," she said, before pulling him back to her and pressing her lips against his. Relief flooded him and he responded to the kiss in turn, slipping an arm around her waist to pull her closer.

"Hey guys, we-" Yusuke barged in. "Oh shit!"

They broke apart upon Yusuke's exclamation. Botan's cheeks were dusted pink and eyes wide in embarrassment, while Hiei glared at the other man irritably.

"What?" he asked.

"Uh, we found a decent spot to watch the fireworks, but you know what? Forget I even came. You two have at it," he said, giving them a cheeky grin and a thumbs-up before disappearing into the crowd.

Hiei turned back to face Botan, who was smiling at him coyly.

"Well, you heard the man," she teased, draping her arms around his neck and waiting for Hiei to make his move.

He smirked at her sudden boldness and returned his hands to her waist. He didn't care that they were in the middle of a festival. He didn't care that they were surrounded by strangers and he certainly didn't care that Yusuke had just found them. Nothing else mattered but the woman in front of him at this point. He leaned in again, but before he could continue where they left off, his cell phone began to vibrate. Hiei let out a soundless sigh as he reluctantly released her to dig into the folds of his yukata.

"What?" he gritted upon bringing the phone to his ear.

" _It's me, Koenma. I've got great news…"_

The fireworks continued to ignite in the background as Hiei strained to listen to Koenma's words. Even though he managed to make out a majority of the words clearly enough, the significance of his message did not fully sink in.

"I understand," Hiei replied mechanically as he ended the call.

"Is everything all right?" Botan asked worriedly.

"That was Koenma…"

"And what did he say?"

All of the warmth drained from his body as the cold reality settled in. He had never felt so small and so big at the same time and he couldn't bring himself to look at Botan as he tried to process exactly what was happening.

"Enma Corp. has just acquired a new company in America," Hiei informed numbly. His gaze was detached and far off as he met her eyes again. "…And they want me to be the head of operations."

* * *

Yikes! You all didn't forget about Hiei's six-month stint in Tokyo, did you? That's just about expired and now he's free to move onto bigger and better opportunities. But where does this leave his relationship with Botan and Kai? Find out next time on LYM!


	20. Chapter 20

Hiei took in a deep breath as his mind raced a mile a minute. Koenma had offered him the opportunity of a lifetime with little to no time to deliberate or waste. It was all he had ever wanted, but it came with a heavy price. This chance was thrust upon him so suddenly that his head was spinning.

Six months ago there was no need for deliberation. The answer was obvious; this is what he was ultimately working towards. He would have taken the job without a second thought or without looking back. But things changed; he changed. He had a son now and that boy had become such a crucial part of his life that he could not do anything without considering how it affected him first.

And now, he had to consider how it would affect the woman standing before him as well.

When he first arrived in Tokyo, he couldn't wait to leave. From the abuse he sustained from the waste of space who dared to call himself his father, to the death of his mother, the city held nothing but bad memories for Hiei. But somehow, over the meager months he had spent here, he had accumulated more pleasant moments and memories than a man like him deserved. It was all due to the people who had wedged their way into his life: his son, his sister, Botan and even the ones that he had never admitted were his friends.

He swallowed thickly. Leaving would have been his only option before, but now the indecision ate him up inside.

* * *

Botan heart fell as she watched Hiei's expression become more unsettled by the minute. Hiei was silent ever since he finished telling her about the job offer and she was worried for him. She didn't know what to do or say, but she had to try something.

"Hiei?" she asked lightly, hating the way that her voice sounded so small and uncertain.

He looked over at her wordlessly and she forced herself to smile.

"Let's rejoin the others," she suggested, more firmly this time. "You can worry about all of this tomorrow."

"I…" he started.

"It's okay," she interrupted, suddenly afraid of what he might say. "Let's not ruin the beauty of tonight with anything else."

He wrestled with himself for a moment, before nodding firmly and leading her through the crowd in search of the rest of their group. They walked in heavy silence, meandering through the masses of people until they caught sight of a familiar face. Yusuke threw her a knowing look, wiggling his eyebrows for good measure, and Botan had to avoid his gaze altogether.

"There you are!" Kai called out, before running to stand in between them. "What took you guys so long?"

"Uh, we…" Botan's eyes widened as she looked over at Hiei for a plausible explanation.

"The woman got lost in the crowd," Hiei responded evenly, his face a perfect mask of indifference. "I stayed back to find her."

"Oh, I see," Kai answered with a nod, internalizing Hiei's words for truth.

He turning his attentions back towards the sky, awe and wonder etched into his expression. Botan tried calm as she followed suit and stared up at the illuminated sky. Each crackle and pop resounded in her chest and did nothing to soothe the tension in her heart. Kai took a hold of her hand that was closest to him and she her dropped to their connected hands. He had also grabbed a hold of one of Hiei's sleeves as well and Botan was not sure if Kai was aware that he was even doing it. She smiled down at him sadly. His face was that of pure joy, but he would be devastated when he learned of Hiei's new job opportunity.

Even though nothing was set in stone, she knew that Hiei would be leaving them. She could feel it like an ache in her bones; like a hole in her chest. This was exactly what he wanted all along. How on earth could she ask him to stay?

She tightened her hold on Kai's hand, just enough to comfort and ground her. Hiei was here now. This might be their last memory together like this for a long time to come and she couldn't afford to waste it. She pushed away the heaviness residing in her heart and tried to hold onto any happiness that she could for the moment. If Hiei could appear to be unaffected right now, then so could she.

Minutes later the display ended in a crescendo of dazzling lights and the crowd began to dissipate.

"That was wonderful," Yukina said.

"Yeah," Shizuru agreed. "I almost wish it could have lasted a bit longer."

Botan glanced over at Hiei, who was too busy listening to something that Kai was saying to see the way that her heart was breaking.

"So do I," she agreed, her tone wistful as her eyes remained on him.

* * *

Koenma jolted awake at the sound of his cellphone ringing. He thought that it might be Hiei calling to accept the position – time was of the essence, after all – but when his ears registered the sound of the personalized ringtone he realized that it was none other than Botan.

"If Botan is calling this late, it must be important," Ayame mumbled lowly, apparently awake as well. She turned over the other way in an attempt to shield herself from the sound of the phone and wrapped the covers tighter around her body. "You should answer."

He nodded, although Ayame could not see the action, before picking his phone up from his nightstand and wandering out into the living room with a lazy yawn.

"Botan?" he croaked into the receiver. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

 _"It's 2:47, but I can't sleep and I've got a bone to pick with you, sir!"_

Koenma gulped nervously. Whenever Botan had mockingly called him by any sort of title of authority, he knew he was due for trouble. He settled on the smaller couch as he wracked his brain for a plausible source of her ire. Did he forget a special event? No, her birthday was months ago and there were no holidays he had missed. What could it be?

"Um, what's wrong?" he asked.

 _"America? You could have sent Hiei back to Kyoto or even to some remote part of Japan. But, no siree, you had to send him to the other side of the world!"_

Oh... so that's what that was.

"I promised him that if he helped get things running in Tokyo, then bigger and better rewards would come his way," he explained. "The company has always been loyal to its employees and Hiei has long since earned this promotion. When the opportunity for advancement came up, I couldn't think of a better person to fill the position."

 _"But it's just so faraway,"_ she said sullenly. _"Kai will be crushed."_

Koenma's brows furrowed as he thought of the boy in question. He had been so used to the business side of things that he was desensitized to the fact that he had rarely seen his own father growing up. Although it was the norm for him, he knew that it was not healthy for any child. In fact, he had vowed to be a much more present father than his own ever was and yet, he had essentially pushed Kai's father away from him with one simple call.

"I didn't even think of what this would do to him," he confessed, rubbing at his temples. "I got so wrapped up in what this would mean for Hiei, that I didn't stop to think of what it would mean for Kai and for you. I'm so sorry."

 _"Oh Koenma, it's really not your fault,"_ Botan amended, her previous ire erased from her tone. _"I just needed to vent to my best friend is all."_

He smiled a little, but the guilt still lingered.

"I haven't heard back from Hiei yet," he mentioned. "There is a chance that he will decline the job offer."

 _"He wants this job, more than anything. But I can tell that he's torn."_

"Well… I'm afraid that he does not have much time to consider his options. If he does not respond soon, the opportunity will be lost."

" _Why is that?"_

"We had a candidate for this position who was due to meet with the board of directors in New York a few days from now. The point of the meeting was to solidify his role as the head of operations and instill confidence in those backing the new venture. Unfortunately, he dropped out last minute and elected to join another company instead. As you can imagine, this caused a lot of distrust and trouble amongst investors and the like. When they asked me who would best be suited for the position, I couldn't think of anyone more capable than Hiei. We needed someone unswerving and loyal to pick up the slack and make an impression and I believe Hiei is that man. But if he does not attend the meeting, then there is no way that they will accept him."

Botan sighed miserably and he could almost hear her flopping back onto whatever surface she was sitting on.

 _"This couldn't have come at a worse time."_

"I know, but the meeting can't be rescheduled."

" _Not just the meeting… the call, too."_

"What do you mean?" Koenma asked confusedly.

" _Well, Hiei and I..."_

"You?"

 _"We sort of kissed."_

"Sort of?"

 _"Well, he kissed me. And then I kissed him."_

"And then?!"

 _"And then Yusuke interrupted and went his way. I'm pretty sure Hiei was about to kiss me again when you called with your news."_

"Oh..."

" _And that was the end of that."_

The guilt returned in waves this time. He remembered how she cried to him on the week of his wedding, telling him about how much she cared for Hiei. Maybe this was their chance; their moment to get it right. He could have effectively ruined the entire thing.

" _I can sense your guilt, you know,"_ Botan voiced perceptively. _"And none of this is your fault. Something would have come up to complicate things. It seems par the course for us."_

They certainly did overcome a lot. He just hoped that his would be another obstacle that they could see through together.

"So, what are you two going to do now?" he asked.

 _"There's not much we can do. I certainly can't ask him to stay, even if that's what I want."_

"Have you ever considered the possibility of a long distance relationship?"

" _I don't know..."_

"He did it with Mukuro," Koenma reminded her. "When he moved to Tokyo, she stayed in Kyoto. And even before that, those two were always in different cities due to the nature of their work."

" _I know, but their case was different,"_ Botan refuted. _"He and Mukuro were already in a relationship, whereas Hiei and I didn't even officially tell each other how we really feel, yet."_

"Ah, I see…"

" _I don't even know if this is just a passing thing for him. And, well, you already know just how much he means to me."_

"You'll never know until you ask him."

Botan made a small sound, but Koenma could not determine its nature.

"Botan?"

" _Yes?"_

"You're worth the extra effort it would take to be with you," he reassured. "If Hiei was smart, he would know that. You're one of the best people I know not even distance should be enough to stop you from getting what you want."

" _Thanks Koenma."_

She should have known her self-worth by now. She was an incredible woman and any man would be lucky to have her. If Hiei really cared for her, he would do whatever it took to make them work. But Koenma wasn't sure if Botan wanted him to resort to all of that. She was the self-sacrificial type and that's what worried him the most.

* * *

Kai had gotten up early the following morning, thrilled that it was the start of the new school year. He was excited to meet his new teacher and classmates and couldn't wait to get started on lessons and programs. He was just about to go into the living room when he heard the sound of Botan's voice.

"No, I haven't told him, yet," she stated quietly. "I don't know how to."

Kai frowned, hand clenched around the door tightly. He didn't like how uncertain she sounded.

"I can't just say, _'Well, son, your father got a job offer on the other side of the world and there's a very high possibility that he's going to take it.'_ …"

Whatever she said next was drowned out by the thumping of his heart as panic seized him.

Hiei was leaving? But he couldn't go... he just couldn't! Not when Kai had only now just found him. He took in a ragged breath, feeling the tears begin to sting at his eyes. He didn't want him to go. He couldn't let him.

"I don't want to worry Kai until Hiei gives us his final decision."

Too late for that, he thought with a frown. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a step closer towards the door, straining to hear the full conversation.

"Hold on, let me put you on speaker while I work on folding these clothes…"

 _"As I was saying,"_ Shizuru started, voice slightly muddled through the phone's receiver. _"The decision falls on Hiei's shoulders alone. If he stays behind out of duty, he might end up regretting it. Regret and resentment go hand in hand and the combination of the two is a heavy burden that lasts a lifetime."_

"I don't want him to give up his aspirations because he felt that he had to stay," Botan lamented. "But Kai needs him."

" _It's a tough situation, but we have to look at it realistically and prepare for the worst outcome. Let's say he takes the job,"_ Shizuru supposed. _"He will be gone, but he won't be dropping off of the face of the planet. We have video chats, messenger apps, and even good old-fashioned letters and emails. You two could visit him on holidays and he could make trips back here."_

Kai frowned hopelessly. None of that was the same as having Hiei here. He didn't want to have to view him through a screen or listen to him through a receiver each and every time he felt like spending time with his own father. It just wasn't the same and if Hiei left, it would never be the same again.

 _"I'm not saying that he will absolutely go, but I just want to prepare you for the possible outcome,"_ Shizuru said. _"Even with Hiei gone, you know you still have all of us here."_

"Thanks Shizuru."

 _"It's not a replacement, but it's better than nothing."_

"Of course. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me and for Kai. I have to be strong for him no matter what."

 _"That a girl."_

"I'll talk to you later."

The call ended and Kai swallowed thickly.

None of this was fair.

…

Later that day, Kai and Amanuma sat in a secluded corner of the field during their recess hour. He should have been laughing and playing like everyone else, but the reality of Hiei's departure loomed over him like a dark cloud and the boy wasn't his usual cheery self. The two children sat cross-legged on the grass, unconcerned with the horseplay going on around them.

"I know!" Amanuma exclaimed, looking over at Kai with renewed vigor. "Why don't you go to America with your dad?"

"Because I can't just leave my mom like that," Kai said sullenly.

"Maybe she can go too," Amanuma suggested.

Kai shook his head.

"She loves her job. I don't think she'd want to go."

"Oh..."

"Besides, if we left then I'd never see you again," Kai pointed out.

Amanuma realized that Kai was right and began to frown. Both boys sat silent and dejected, watching as a group of kids from their class ran past them.

"And you're sure you can't just ask your dad to stay?" Amanuma questioned.

Kai paused. He wanted to - he really wanted to - but deep down, he knew that he couldn't. He remembered the conversation they shared in Hiei's office. Kai had asked Hiei why he worked so hard all the time, and Hiei explained that it was all for the sake of advancement. It was his dream to move to the top and Kai couldn't be the reason why he gave it all up.

"No, I can't ask him to do that," Kai rejected, shaking his head. "I already told you about how it was in the beginning, right?"

"Yeah, you said things weren't that great at first."

"Hiei never wanted kids, so it took him a while to get it together when we first met. But he changed since then. He's done a lot for me and I don't want him to have to give up anything else. I think I have to let him go."

"I get it," Amanuma consoled, sympathy swimming in his big blue eyes. "You're doing a really nice thing for him."

"I know. It still bites, though..." Kai replied, pulling at a blade of grass in frustration.

"It's not much, but you've always got me."

"Yeah…" Kai replied halfheartedly.

"I mean it," Amanuma pressed. "You're my best friend. And not just that, you were my first real friend. I'll do whatever I can to help you, like you've always done for me."

Kai's posture straightened a bit as he looked over at Amanuma with wide eyes. His shock melted into a widespread grin and it was the happiest he felt all day.

"Thanks Ama."

"Come on," Amanuma urged as he took a stand and dusted himself off. "Let's go play with the Yana's group. It might cheer you up."

Kai nodded, standing up as well and following Amanuma towards their group of friends.

He knew exactly what he had to do now; all he needed was the will and courage to do it. Hiei had done so much for him, and now it was his turn to return the favor. He couldn't let him down.

* * *

Hiei stood at the bus stop, waiting for Kai's bus to pull up, tapping his foot against the concrete impatiently. He left work early to fulfill his promise of meeting the boy at the end of his first day, but the bus was running late and Hiei was left with nothing but his thoughts.

He would no longer be able to fulfill Kai's simple requests if he left for America. He wouldn't be able to do a lot of things for the boy if he left.

Koenma had given him until the end of today to provide him with an answer, but he was no closer to figuring things out than he was last night. He wanted it all but that just wasn't possible.

The bus pulled up, causing Hiei to release the tension in his shoulders and in his features. He did not want to alert Kai to anything; the boy was far more observant than he let on. He watched as the doors opened and frowned when he spotted Kai. Instead of bounding out of the vehicle with an overexcited air, he stepped off quietly. His hands were gripped tightly onto the straps of his backpack and he seemed to be deep in thought, causing Hiei to wonder if something had happened at school. The boy tended to keep the serious matters to himself – a family trait that they all shared – and Hiei doubted that he would divulge any details unless forced to. Kai looked up from the ground, perking up a bit when he saw Hiei.

"You came…"

Hiei's chest tightened every time Kai was surprised to see him.

"How was school?" Hiei asked instead, wanting to know what was on the boy's mind.

"It was good," Kai answered nonchalantly. "My teacher seems nice and me and Ama are in the same class again."

Hiei nodded, expecting to hear more and frowning when it never came. They walked towards Botan's apartment in an uncharacteristic silence. It was a bit alarming, considering Kai had inherited Botan's trait of being a chatterbox. The boy kept glancing over at him every second, as though he thought Hiei was going to disappear. Hiei should have gotten used to Kai's quirks, but this one was beginning to get unnerving.

"What is it?" Hiei asked. "You keep looking over here.

"No I'm not," Kai denied, staring ahead.

They made it to the apartment building when it happened again. Although Kai was trying to be subtler this time, Hiei caught his gaze three more times.

"Kai," he ground out warningly, wanting an explanation for his suddenly sketchy conduct.

But the boy had already scampered inside, shooting up the stairs and running down the hall to where his apartment was. Hiei sighed, attesting the strange behavior to the boy's strange personality as he followed suit. He entered the apartment to see that Botan was already fixing a meal for dinner, an apron tied around her waist and a smile stretched out over her face.

"Hello boys," she greeted cheerily. "I thought we could all eat together, if you don't mind sticking around for a while, that is."

Botan stared at him innocuously, treating him as though everything was completely normal between them. As though they hadn't kissed in the middle of an open crowd, and as though the same longing in him wasn't reflected clearly in her amethyst eyes.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"I can stay," he answered.

"Great!" she replied, before leaning down to address Kai with an inquiring look. "And how was my favorite guy's first day of school?"

"It was good," he replied, in the same watered down tone that he had given Hiei moments earlier. "Ama helped me with something important."

"Did he now?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"Mhm."

"Well, are you going to let us know what that important thing was?" Botan asked as she straightened up and set her hands on her hips.

Kai looked up at them and shook his head.

"Not yet."

"Isn't that cryptic…" she noted, looking over at Hiei in confusion.

He only gave her a slight shrug, past the point of trying to decode Kai's ways. If Botan could not understand it, then there was little to no hope for Hiei.

"I'll go wash up," Kai said instead.

"Okay," she nodded.

Hiei waited until Kai was in the bathroom and the shower turned on, before speaking with Botan.

"I wonder what all of that was about?" Botan questioned a worried frown tugging at her pink lips.

"He's been acting strange ever since he stepped off of that bus," Hiei informed.

Botan frowned.

"I hope nothing bad happened. Maybe he will be more inclined to telling us after a warm bath and a nice meal," she hoped.

Hiei doubted it. The boy had a way of keeping the serious things to himself, much like himself. He stared back at Botan, figuring he owed it to her to say something.

"Although this is entirely unlike me, I still have not made a decision," he revealed.

"It must be difficult for you to have to figure this all out on such short notice. The board meeting is in a few days, right?"

He raised a brow questioningly.

"I spoke with Koenma," she explained.

"Then you know how crucial this is."

"I do."

A heavy silence enveloped them both, and Hiei was a little surprised to see how calmly Botan was behaving. He had expected some sort of reaction out of her, but this was new. He supposed it was up to him to do or say something, but he wasn't quite sure of how to address the elephant in the room. Botan was just about to turn back and return to the kitchen, when he took a step forward.

"...What happened at the festival," he began.

Botan shook her head, powder blue ponytail bouncing behind her as she did so.

"You have enough on your plate as it is. Let's not complicate things any further."

He frowned. She certainly did not seem to want to talk about it, but they would have to eventually. He was not one for open discussion and a play-by-play reveal of emotions, but he did not like leaving things hanging in the air, either. He supposed it would have to wait, though. Kai would come bounding out of the bathroom at any minute and this was not something he needed to hear.

* * *

All throughout dinner, Kai kept staring over at Hiei. He couldn't help it. This might be the last time they were together like this and he wanted to hold on to it. He didn't want it to end, but there was no choice in the matter. He would rather have Hiei be gone than have him hate him. He remembered how coldly Hiei had looked at him before. Or worse, how he looked at Kai as if he wasn't even there at all. He didn't want to go back to that. He couldn't. He set his chopsticks down and looked over at Hiei from across the table.

"Um…" he started uncertainly.

Both of his parents' attention landed on him.

"What is it sweetie?" Botan encouraged.

"I heard about the job in America…" he confessed.

Botan's gaze quickly darted over to Hiei, who was watching Kai with a conflicted expression.

"You told him," Hiei concluded.

"No," Kai interrupted. "I overheard mom and Shizuru talking about it this morning."

"Oh, Kai… I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to hear about it," Botan apologized, expressing falling into one of sadness. "Not like that."

"It's okay," he reassured, before looking over at Hiei. "It's okay because I think that you should go."

"What?" Hiei asked.

"This is what you wanted, right?" Kai asked. "This is what you worked so hard for."

"It is," Hiei confirmed with a nod.

"Then you have to go," Kai reasoned.

Hiei looked over at Botan, whose expression molded into a look of determination. She nodded in understanding.

"He's right, you know," Botan supported. "You've done a lot for us, but sacrificing your career shouldn't be one of them."

"You realize that this means that I will have to move to another country and time zone," Hiei stated.

"I know," Kai answered.

"I won't be around the corner anymore. I'll be across the sea," Hiei reiterated once more.

"I know," Kai said again. "America sounds like a really cool place. Maybe I could visit sometime. It'll be fun."

"It's not as simple as taking a train or a bus. You won't be able to see me as often," Hiei said.

"But we can talk on the phone and use the video chats. And I can text you still, right?" Kai asked.

Hiei nodded.

"So, there's really no reason for you not to go. I mean, unless you don't want to?" Kai continued.

Hiei was silent for a moment.

"The opportunity might not come again," Hiei admitted.

"Then you owe it to yourself to take it," Botan advised understandingly.

Kai nodded in support.

Hiei's gaze fell away from the both of them, eyes narrowed in thought as he considered his options. When he looked back at them again, his expression was more controlled this time.

"…You're both far too understanding," he said finally.

Botan grinned, but it didn't light up her eyes like it usually did.

"Of course we are. That's what family does."

 _Family_. Kai's chest felt heavy upon hearing the word. Their family was about to be split apart, but there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes began to prickle and he stubbornly pushed the feeling away as he looked up at Hiei.

"So... when are you supposed to leave?" Kai asked, controlling his voice so that it was even enough.

"The board meeting is the seventh, but I would have to leave on the sixth."

The sixth was in two days and the seventh…

"Kai's birthday is the seventh," Botan noted with a frown. "Is there no way of rescheduling the meeting?"

Hiei shook his head.

"It's beyond my authority."

Botan's expression dissolved into one of disappointment, but Kai held himself together the way he was used to doing. He couldn't let Hiei see him being weak.

"That's okay," he lied, throwing on a grin. "It's no big deal."

A conflicted look passed over Hiei's features.

"Seriously... I'm not a little kid. You don't have to baby me," Kai frowned, crossing his arms over his chest for good measure.

Hiei stared at him for a few moments, before nodding in understanding.

"Thank you," he said, looking at the both of them. "You might not full grasp what you've just done for me, but I don't intend to forget it."

Kai nodded back at him. He knew he made the right decision, but all he wanted to do was pull at Hiei's sleeves and beg him to stay. But that would be really childish of him, wouldn't it? Maybe he really wasn't as grown as he thought.

"I have homework to do," he announced, pushing his chair out as he stood up. "We got a lot and I don't want to fall behind."

He didn't bother waiting for anyone to respond as he walked over to his room. He let out a shuddered breath once he as out of sight and hearing range. Pretending that he was fine with Hiei leaving was the easy part; it was the aftermath that weighed heavily on Kai. He flopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling miserably. He hoped it wouldn't feel like this forever.

* * *

Botan knew exactly what Kai was doing because it was what she herself had resolved to do; Kai had simply beat her to the punch. In the end, he was braver and more selfless than she was. He knew how important this was for Hiei and he did what he had to. Now it was her turn. She loved Hiei more than he would ever know and she couldn't let anything hold him back. The only thing she could give him now was a clean break.

"Well, I guess that's that, then," she said, standing up and moving to clear up the dishes from the table.

"There's still the matter of you and I," Hiei pointed out.

Botan paused, looking back over at him.

"Maybe this was a sign."

"A sign?" he echoed, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"We're both far too different, maybe we wouldn't have lasted," she said, ignoring the bitter taste in her mouth as the words left it. "Maybe the position in America came at the best possible time. We didn't jump into anything that could ruin our friendship, and we're free to remain as we are."

"Is that what you really think?"

She pushed aside the aching in her chest and nodded.

"It is."

"Then perhaps you're right," he relented.

Botan swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to remain as natural as he could.

"We'll make this work, somehow," she promised. "Kai can visit during certain holidays and school breaks. We'll set up times for you two to chat. And he can use my phone to message you whenever he wants."

"I'll be available when he needs me."

"I know you will."

"I'll return tomorrow, if the boy wants me to."

"Of course he will. He'll want to spend all the time he can with you before you leave," she said, following him towards the door.

Hiei slipped his shoes back on and hesitated before fixing her with a serious look.

"I'll be available for you, too," he stated. "If you need me."

She hated the way her heart clenched at the simple declaration.

"Thank you, Hiei."

He nodded in return and she felt a wave of sadness rise within her.

"Well, goodnight," she said.

Botan stood at the door, watching him as her heart ached beneath her chest. When he was out of sight, she closed the door with a sigh. She couldn't afford to dwell on her sadness when her son was in pain. She walked over to his room, pausing to rap her knuckles on the door softly.

"Come in."

He was laying on his back, staring up at nothing in particular.

"Are you alright?" she asked him quietly, taking a seat beside him on the bed.

"Yeah…" he said, pushing aside the panda Yusuke had bought for him aside as he sat up. "I'm okay."

"Hiei left, but he said he'd be back tomorrow to spend some time with you."

"Okay."

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That was a very selfless thing you did."

Kai's breath hitched, but he did not say a word.

"It meant a lot to Hiei, you know. He'll never forget what you did for him today."

"I-I know," Kai said, voice quivering. "I just want him to be happy."

"I think Hiei's the happiest he can be, all because he's got you."

"You think so?"

"I know it, because I feel the same exact way."

Kai's bottom lip quivered and in the next instant his arms were wrapped around her tightly. He let out a tiny sob and the little that remained of her heart broke into pieces.

"We'll be alright," she soothed, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I promise."

* * *

Hiei left Botan's apartment that night completely stunned.

Hiei never expected Kai and Botan to encourage him to leave. He didn't want the boy to know about the job offer unless it was absolutely necessary. If he was going to decline, then there was no need to tell Kai anything at all. But somehow Kai had heard the news and he did the unexpected. Hearing his son tell him to go had given Hiei his resolve back. He couldn't waver. This is what he had been working towards. Even if his life had changed drastically over the last six months, his career seemed to be the only unchanging pillar. A chance like this wouldn't come by again and Kai and Botan had given him the push he needed to follow through.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed with the way that Botan had let him go, but that couldn't be helped. It was clear that the woman's affections did not run as deeply as his and there was absolutely nothing he could do about that. After all, he knew that there were far better options out there for her: someone kinder, softer and more understanding than him. She deserved a person with a better heart than the damaged and jilted one that he possessed. It was better this way, he reasoned. She would not be hurt when he left and he would heal in time. Even if he never completely got over her, he would be fine. He was stronger than most and something as minor as unrequited love would not be enough to break him. Besides, he would do what he always did: throw himself into work. That was all he needed, aside from knowing that his family was safe and contented. And they would be fine. Yukina, Kai and Botan. They would be fine without him for the time being.

He called Koenma that night to accept the position and from there, everything happened quickly. The company had booked a flight and car service that would get him to the board meeting on time and they sent the order of his transfer down to headquarters. Hiei did not have enough time to pack all of his things and ship them, so he decided to keep the apartment for the remainder of the year. He had already paid for it and the others could use it in the meantime. He would come back to Japan during the holidays to see Kai and then he would clear everything out of the space and tie up any loose ends.

The following morning, he had decided to clean out his office. It would have been a much simpler task had Haru not taken the liberty of decorating the space. He was in the middle of depositing the important things in a cardboard box when Haru busted through the door.

"You can't leave!" the orange-haired man whined loudly. "If you go, then Risho will take your place and I refuse to work with him."

"Now you understand how I feel," Hiei countered. "Having a partner you can't tolerate."

Haru's face crumpled in disappointment.

"This is no time for jokes, Hiei," Haru admonished, crossing his arms over his chest tightly.

"I've never been one to joke," Hiei replied flatly.

"So you're just going to go?"

"That is the plan."

"What about Kai?"

"The boy gave me his blessing."

Haru blinked.

"Did he really?"

"I don't believe I stuttered."

"That's strange..." Haru paused, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Why?"

"Well, Kai clearly worships the ground you walk on. If anything, his reaction should have been more like mine."

"The boy is more sensible and mature than you could ever hope to be," Hiei stated.

"He's still just a child who needs his father."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Hiei dismissed stubbornly.

"Sure I do. I remember when I first met him... He was a little guarded and pretty good at masking his emotions. Who's to say he's not doing that right now for your sake?"

Hiei's stomach dropped at the thought.

Haru was an idiot, but he had a way of understanding people and their emotions better than most. If what he was saying was true, then Hiei had a problem on his hands.

"You should go and talk to him," Haru encouraged. "And don't take his words at face value. Read between the lines a little."

Hiei's gaze fell away from Haru, frowning deeply in thought. Something twisted miserably inside of his chest at the thought of his words being true.

"You know, I even have a feeling that Botan doesn't want you to go, either," Haru added.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," he said, wiggling his brows.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"But seriously," Haru continued. "Whatever you chose in the end, I'll support you. We're not just partners, we're friends, and you've got to do what's right for you, too."

"I never needed your support or your acknowledgment."

"I know, but you've got it, buddy."

Hiei turned away uncomfortably. Haru was far too emotional, but he doubted he would find another partner as inept as him.

"I forgot that Hiei was only hear for half a year," Yusuke said, letting out a sigh as he folded his arms over his chest.

They had all learned of Hiei's promotion in different ways. Hiei had told Yukina and Kurama directly, while Botan spilled the beans to Shizuru, who then told Kuwabara and himself. It seemed like only yesterday when they were all here at the bar, and he had officially introduced the entire gang to one another. Hiei and Botan sure got off to a rocky start and a lot had happened since then, but he never considered that this would be how it all ended.

"Yes, it slipped my mind as well. I did not think that his endeavors would lead him out of the country, much less several continents away," Kurama added.

"It's not like Koenma's forcing him to go," Kuwabara groused. "He has a choice."

"It's not that simple," Shizuru countered.

"Isn't it?" he insisted. "A real man would stay, no matter what."

"Was it wrong when our father moved to Sapporo for two years?" she challenged.

"No!" he spluttered. "He did that to support us. But shorty's not hard up for cash. He doesn't _need_ to go."

"On the contrary, Hiei is a complex person and I believe that his need for success stems from his past with his father," Kurama interjected. "We should not undermine his accomplishment. It is a big stepping stone for him."

Kuwabara's expression softened and even Yusuke was a little taken aback by the sudden revelation. It made sense, though.

"My brother has been working towards this for years," Yukina added. "It's not just a job to him, Kazuma. It's so much more."

"I guess I never thought of it like that before," Kuwabara conceded.

"Which is exactly why I do not think we should voice any negative opinions. All that's left to do is to support him in this endeavor," Kurama instructed, emerald gaze cast upon them imperatively.

"That means no snide remarks," Shizuru added, eyes settled on Kuwabara warningly.

Kuwabara nodded begrudgingly, and Yusuke had to admit that he understood where Kurama and Shizuru were coming from. They had all made no secret of telling Hiei what they thought in the past, but things were different now. Hiei had come a long way since then and it was up to them to trust his final decision.

"That means you too, Yusuke," Shizuru cautioned. "You've been suspiciously quiet."

"It's because I agree with you," Yusuke supported, stunning everyone else. He uncrossed his arms and stared back at them. "What? Don't look at me like you're all shocked… I can be the voice of reason, too!"

"Che, yeah right, Urameshi."

Yusuke flipped Kuwabara the bird and took a sip of his beer.

"Hiei sure is taking his sweet time, though," Yusuke mentioned.

"I believe he was going to spend some time at Botan's before coming here. He was going to stay until it was time for Kai to turn in."

"Looks like the kid's asleep. Here he comes," Shizuru announced.

True to Shizuru's claim, Hiei appeared at Yusuke's side and took a seat at the end of the booth wordlessly.

"Well, don't leave us all in suspense," Yusuke urged, nudging Hiei with his elbow.

"…I've chosen to take the position," he announced evenly.

Yusuke couldn't say he was surprised. He just hoped that Botan and Kai were okay with it. Yukina was the first to outwardly react.

"That's wonderful, brother," she said, genuine joy on her face. "I know how much you've wanted this and I'm so happy for you."

Hiei acknowledged her with a nod.

"How did Kai take it?" Kuwabara asked suspiciously. Shizuru glared at him, but Kuwabara continued to stare at Hiei critically.

"Not that it's any of your business, oaf, but he told me to go," Hiei answered.

"That sounds like him," Shizuru agreed, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, the kid's pretty mature and understanding," Yusuke added.

"Although this is happening rather quickly, I can't say that I'm surprised. Your ambition and determination are second to none," Kurama complimented.

"Hn."

"I wish you well, my friend."

Crimson eyes narrowed skeptically.

"No words of advice, fox?" Hiei asked.

Kurama chuckled, before shaking his head.

"I don't think you need it."

"That's a first," Hiei scoffed.

"You've changed. I trust that you know what's best for yourself and for your family," Kurama finished.

The words seemed to strike a chord within Hiei as his expression became serious once more. Going all the way to America was a big move – a huge change. Yusuke had an opportunity kind of like Hiei's waiting on the backburner, but on a much less grand scale. He hadn't taken it because he didn't think he needed it. But if Hiei was willing to try, maybe he owed it to himself to do the same.

"In light of Hie's news, I feel as though I should confess something that I have kept to myself this entire time," Kurama started, gathering everyone's attention.

"What is it Kurama?" Kuwabara asked curiously.

"I received an offer to join Kuronue, an associate from my past. He's been making strides in the field of botany and believes that we will be more effective working together as a team, rather than separately."

"Kuronue's pretty popular," Shizuru noted. "You would definitely be allotted more funds for your research and work."

"But isn't he stationed all the way in Kagoshima?" Kuwabara pointed out.

"Yes," Kurama replied.

Kuwabara's expression darkened and Yusuke cleared his throat.

"Uh, I guess if we're all coming clean, I should, too," he said, running a hand through his hair.

They all looked over at him with mixed looks of confusion and he .

"What is it?" Kurama urged.

"I was contacted by this really stuffy guy, Hokushin. He claims he worked with Raizen years ago and wants me to start a more legit business in with him in Hokkaido."

"But you've got your own cart here," Kuwabara pointed out.

"I know. It wouldn't hurt to hear him out, though," Yusuke shrugged.

"So that's it?" Kuwabara asked, his charcoal eyes narrowed accusingly. "You're all just leaving?"

"Don't blow a gasket, I haven't actually settled on anything, yet," Yusuke defended. "I just thought that I should let you guys know."

"I have not responded to Kuronue's offer, either," Kurama added calmly.

"Yeah, well, it sounds like you all made up your minds," Kuwabara grumbled, standing up from their booth.

"Kuwabara..." Yusuke stood up to follow him, but Shizuru halted him.

"Give him some space," she directed. "He's never liked change much and now he feels like he's losing the three oldest friends he's ever had. It's never been easy for him to connect with others, but you guys really changed him."

Yusuke looked down at the dark wood table and nodded. As sentimental as it sounded, Kuwabara was his first friend, too. They had never really strayed far from each other and it would be weird not to have him around all of a sudden.

"Sometimes I forget how emotional that big lug is," Yusuke sighed. "But it's not like he's losing us... things will just be a little different, right?"

"They certainly won't be the same," Kurama acknowledged.

"You should all be proud of the opportunities that have come your way. Kazuma will understand in time," Yukina soothed.

"Yeah, give him a few minutes and he'll come strolling back in here all apologetic," Shizuru smiled. "He's always been too sentimental for his own good."

Hiei rolled his eyes uncaringly, but Yusuke could tell that even he was a little shocked over Kuwabara's reaction. Yukina turned to him, tilting her head in his direction slightly.

"I'll miss you, but you will come to visit, won't you?" she asked.

"I intend to," he replied. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a key. "The apartment will be available to you if you need it. Botan has the other copy."

She accepted the silver key and placed a hand over Hiei's.

"You deserve every good thing that comes your way, brother," she said softly. "Don't ever forget that."

He nodded wordlessly and he released his hand.

"So when are you leaving, anyway?" Shizuru asked.

"My flight is tomorrow morning," Hiei replied.

Yusuke's eyes doubled in size.

"Tomorrow morning? You don't waste any time, do you?" he exclaimed.

"Hn."

So, this was it, then: their last night together for a while to come. The thought was sobering, to say the least and he kind of understood where Kuwabara was coming from now. The conversation deviated to what was expected of Hiei when he got to America and Yusuke had mostly tuned it out. He was never really good with all of that business-speak; it was partly the reason why he was hesitant to respond to Hokushin in the first place. Eventually, the bell attached to the front door catching Yusuke's attention. He spotted Kuwabara returning to them, eyes downcast and posture slumped.

"Um," he started, unwilling to look at any of them as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I may have slightly overreacted…"

"You think?" Yusuke snorted.

Kuwabara sent him a pointed look, before returning his gaze to the rest of the table.

"You guys are all moving on to bigger and better things and I guess it felt like I was being left behind," he explained. "But I was wrong. I'm exactly where I need to be and I've got Yukina and Shizuru… and Botan and Kai, too. You guys go and do what you have to do and I'll hold down the fort here."

"How valiant," Shizuru teased. "But us girls can handle ourselves just fine. Kai, too, for that matter."

Kuwabara muttered something about how un-ladylike Shizuru tended to be and she silenced him with a sharp jab to his abdomen. As Kuwabara howled in pain, Shizuru turned to the others calmly.

"He is right, though. You all owe it to yourselves to choose the path that suits you best. If you feel that you could meet your potential elsewhere, then that's exactly where you should be," Shizuru instructed.

"Hn. You're all so sentimental," Hiei scoffed.

"Aw, don't tell me none of this touched a small part of your cold, black heart," Yusuke teased.

"It hasn't," Hiei replied matter-of-factly.

"Whatever," Yusuke said as he clapped a hand on Hiei's shoulder. "I think we need another round. Come on rude, dark and cold-hearted; help me out."

He did not give Hiei a chance to decline as he stood up and strode over to the bar.

"Another one, Chuu!" Yusuke called over the many people lined up at the bar, not bothering to wait in line. Chuu heard him and moved to fulfill his order. It paid to have friends in high places.

"What do you want?" Hiei asked, finally approaching him.

Yusuke fixed him with a cheeky look, mouth tilted upwards into a lopsided grin.

"So, what about you and Botan, huh? Gonna try out the long distance thing?"

"Why did you bother asking privately? I assume you told everyone already."

"I actually didn't. I was going to, but I didn't," Yusuke remarked. "So quit giving me the work around and tell me what I want to know."

"It's no longer of consequence," Hiei murmured in that tight-lipped manner of his.

"What?"

"It's over," he reiterated. "Though I suppose it never actually began."

"Are you serious?" Yusuke asked, resisting the urge to grab Hiei by his collar and shake him senseless. "You can't let a girl like her go."

"I didn't," he muttered under his breath.

Yusuke placed a hand by his ear exaggeratedly.

"Come again?"

"She discarded me," Hiei clarified.

Yusuke took a moment to process the information, blinking owlishly before doubling over in laughter. Hiei's expression darkened when Yusuke slapped a hand against his knee and continued to laugh raucously.

"Man are you dense!" Yusuke howled.

"I'd watch what you say to me right now," Hiei warned. "I'm in no mood for your nonsense."

"You're never in the mood, but you're definitely going to want to hear what I'm about to say."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's about Botan."

"...I'm listening."

"She's in love with you, you emotionally stunted doofus," Yusuke revealed.

Crimson eyes widened marginally and Yusuke took that as his cue to continue.

"She's been in love with you since forever. And I'm only telling you this because you're both my friends and seeing you two run around in circles is making me dizzy."

"You don't know what you're saying," Hiei dismissed.

"Of course I do. I've got the mind and wits of an expert detective, you know. And if you don't trust me, just ask the others."

Hiei glanced over at their table, before returning his gaze to meet Yusuke's.

"They are all under the same impression as you?" he asked.

"Yup," Yusuke confirmed. "So the fact that you think she just dumped you is pretty damn funny. I don't think it's that easy for a person like her to let go of the guy she's in love with so easily."

Chuu deposited a tray filled with drinks in front of them and Yusuke forked over a few bills.

"Thanks man," he said as he picked up the tray. He had intended to return to their booth, when Hiei spoke again.

"If what you say is true, then why is she pretending otherwise?"

Dark brows furrowed in confusion and Yusuke almost felt sorry for the guy.

"That, my emotionally challenged friend, is the great mystery of the female species. Who knows why they do what they do? All I can assume is that Botan's doing what she thinks is best for you."

He gave Hiei one last smirk before making his way back to the others and leaving the other man at the bar. Hiei and Botan. Who'd have thought he'd ever end up playing matchmaker for those two? He just hoped that things worked themselves out in the end.

* * *

Hiei approached Botan's apartment the next morning, ready to say goodbye. His flight was in a few hours, and he intended to see Kai before the boy left for his bus, but he hesitated outside of their door. Both Haru and Yusuke had insisted that Kai and Botan were only doing what they thought was right for him. But Hiei had spent time with both of them before leaving for the bar, and neither had acted strangely or out of turn. Though, if he was being honest with himself, he supposed they had both seemed a bit too normal, given the circumstances.

Hiei shook his head. There as no need for this sudden doubt. They had all consented to him leaving and he couldn't find a reason to stay. When he entered the apartment, he found that Kai was already dressed and ready for school.

"I…" Kai started uncertainly.

Hiei didn't know what to say either. Kai took a step closer before letting his guard down completely to hug Hiei around his waist. Hiei stiffened, the unexpectedness of the moment cut short when he the umistakable sound of a sniffle. He looked down to see Kai's face scrunched up in sorrow as a tear slipped past his eye. There was a deep sadness in his expression that went far beyond what Hiei had expected. It shook him to his core, but before he could say anything, Kai pulled away. His bottom lip trembled as he picked up his backpack and ran out of the door to catch his bus.

Botan's eyes watered at the sight and Hiei turned to her for some sort of explanation.

"It's not easy for him, you know," she divulged. "Kai just wanted to do what was right for you. He wanted you to be happy, so he hid how he really felt."

"He told me to go. He said it would be fine," Hiei reminded her, feeling sick to his stomach all of a sudden.

"He knew how much you wanted this. He was afraid that you would hate him if he had to stay behind because of him. And he was even more afraid that you wouldn't stay if he asked."

Hiei frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he asked.

"Because I was afraid of the same things as he was. How could we ask you to stay when you've been offered the very thing you've been working towards for years?"

Hiei felt a myriad of things in that moment: regret, disappointment, but most of all hurt. He covered it all with the anger at being misjudged by the two people who should have known him better than most others.

"You both didn't think I would stay..." he realized. "After everything I've done. After all the ways I've proved myself, you both still thought so little of me."

"That's not it, Hiei. You're not listening."

"I heard you loud and clear."

"Hiei-"

He turned away, unwilling to see the same look in her eyes that he had seen in Kai's.

"I'll call Kai when I'm settled in. There will be a significant time difference, so make sure he is aware of that if he tries to reach out first."

"Hiei wait..." she pleaded.

"Take care of him," he said tightly, before walking out of the apartment without sparing the place or the person left behind a second glance.

He walked back to his apartment mechanically, pushing all thoughts out of his head. There were still a few things he needed to bring with him, so he spent some time going through the apartment rooms for files and miscellaneous items, ignoring the the hollow emptiness residing in his chest and uncertainty lingering in his mind. He couldn't afford to go back on his decision now. It was too late for that. He had a flight to catch and a meeting to spearhead. There was still so much to be done; he couldn't stop now.

When he finally entered his room, he realized just how littered it was with everything that Kai had ever given him. The boy had often gifted him with drawings, comic books and little trinkets for no reason at all. The card that Kai had given him for Father's Day was propped up on his dresser and he found himself picking it up and eyeing it once more. He had refrained from reading it ever since he received it because he hated the way his chest tightened every time he thought of those five simple words scribbled inside: " _Thank you for keeping me_."

It tugged at the heart that he didn't know he had and something broke inside of him.

This job was what he wanted all along. This was a surefire way of proving himself; to show everyone that he could be something more than the boy who was used and abused by his own father. This was his chance to go higher than anyone ever thought he would.

…Except none of that mattered if he failed his own child. The only person whose opinion counted now was Kai's. Every time the boy put his faith in him, trusted him and looked at him with admiration and pride in his eyes, Hiei felt as though he was enough. He had nothing to prove to anyone, not when he had a son who believed in him wholeheartedly.

He sat at the edge of his bed, staring down at the card as an unexpected calm washed over him.

He couldn't leave the boy; not when he had only just found him. It was as simple as that.

His phone began to ring and he fished it from his pocket. He recognized the string of numbers, eyes narrowing when he realized that it was Kai's school.

" _Mr. Jaganshi, this is Ako Tanaka, from your son's elementary school. I was just calling to inquire about Kai's absence today. We did not receive any advance notification and could not reach Ms. Himura."_

Hiei should have been alarmed, but he knew exactly where Kai would be. He dropped the card on his bed and stood up, making his way out of the apartment as he answered.

"There was a family issue."

" _I will make a note in the attendance records,"_ she replied. _"Please give him my regards and have a pleasant day."_

He ended the call and immediately made his way towards the park. It was the spot Kai always returned to whenever Hiei and done or said something careless. The place was empty save for one lone figure by the swing set and his suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the unmistakable shock of powder blue hair. Kai's backpack was discarded on the floor as sat on the swing motionlessly, head down and shoulders slumped.

Hiei approached him slowly, regretting what he had put them all through. Kai looked up and blinked in confusion when he noticed Hiei. His purple eyes were red-rimmed and guilt wretched away in the pit of Hiei's stomach. If he had gotten on the airplane, how many more tears would the boy have cried?

"Hiei," Kai sniffled, wiping the tear tracks from his cheeks hurriedly. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking that question," he replied firmly.

"I... I didn't feel well," Kai lied, looking off to the side ruefully. "… How did you find me, anyway?"

"You have a habit of turning up here whenever I've done something to upset you."

Kai's eyes widened he shook his head feverishly.

"It's not your fault," he claimed. "I just didn't want to go to school."

"I see."

Kai sniffled again, looking up at Hiei as though it was hard to believe that he was really there.

"I'll go back home to Botan. You should go, too, or else you'll miss your flight," he instructed.

"That won't be necessary."

"…Why not?"

"Because I'm staying."

"But it was your dream!" Kai exclaimed. "Why would you give it up?"

"Dreams are for sentimental fools," Hiei said, crouching down so that he was at eye level with the boy. He paused to look into Kai's disbelieving gaze, needing to get his point across. "There will be other opportunities for advancement but there is only one you."

Blue brows rose high in shock.

"You… you did it for me?"

"You're my son," Hiei said firmly. "Nothing else matters."

Kai launched himself off of the swing, hooking his small arms around Hiei's neck and all of his doubt shrunk away. This was where he belonged. This was exactly where he was meant to be.

"I'm glad you stayed, dad," Kai whispered into the crook of Hiei's neck.

Hiei nodded, placing a hand on Kai's back wordlessly.

This was all he needed.

* * *

Did you guys like the ending scene for this one? It was my favorite part of the chapter, and maybe the entire story.

We've got one more chapter to go until the end, guys! I will try to update as soon as I can. In the meantime, be a pal and let me know your thoughts. :)


	21. Chapter 21

Only when Kai's tears had subsided and his sniffling had ceased did Hiei let go of him. As Hiei stood up from his crouched position, Kai picked up his backpack and threw it over his shoulders and grinned up at him. Though the two had just shared an emotionally charged moment, the air between them had returned to normal. Hiei pushed away the guilt associated with Kai's tears and focused on the present. He had made the proper decision in the end and he had no regrets about what he had left behind in America. He looked down at Kai's decisively.

"I should take you back to Botan's," he stated.

Kai blinked up at him, purple eyes rounded in shock.

"You mean… I don't have to go to school?"

"Is that what you want?" Hiei asked, looking down at his son patiently.

Kai shook his head and then slid his hand in Hiei's. Although Hiei refrained from showing any outward reaction, the small gesture was surprising enough to cause a twinge of emotion to blossom in his chest. The boy's hand was so small and slight, reminding Hiei of just how young he really was. The fact that he had even considered leaving was a mistake in and of itself, but he found some consolation in the fact that he did not go through with it in the end.

"I want you to take me home," Kai requested.

The supplication was simple enough but the earnest quality of his words and the affections in his mauve eyes was more than Hiei deserved. He nodded wordlessly as he closed his hand around Kai's tiny one and together, they set off on the short trek back to Botan's apartment. With every step he took, he was more and more sure of his decision. This was exactly where he belonged.

"Gotta say, I didn't expect to run into either of you today."

The familiar voice cut through Hiei's thoughts and they both stopped walking when they noticed Yusuke's approach. He was dressed in a casual pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and a red jacket, rather than in his usual work uniform. Hiei found it a bit suspicious, but did not comment on it.

"Hi Yusuke!" Kai waved at him with his free hand, since he made no move to let go of Hiei's.

Hiei pocketed his other hand, not knowing what to do with himself in this predicament.

"Shouldn't you be at school, kiddo?" Yusuke wondered, looking down at Kai with amusement twinkling in his brown eyes.

"Dad said I could stay home today," Kai answered proudly.

"Did he now?" Yusuke responded, flicking his gaze over at Hiei. "Didn't take you for the lenient type, Hiei."

"The circumstances allowed it," Hiei reasoned.

"And I'm guessing that the fact that you're still here and not at the airport means your flight got delayed or canceled," Yusuke supposed.

"I'm not going anywhere," he answered.

Yusuke's mouth split open into a wide grin.

"For real?"

Hiei nodded in response while Kai continued to beam at his side.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Yusuke commented, rubbing a hand at his chin contemplatively. "You always did have a way of surprising us in the end."

Hiei shifted his gaze to the left uncomfortably.

"Don't you have a business to run?" he asked, moving the topic to something much less personal.

"Actually, I was on my way to meet up with Hokushin," Yusuke disclosed. "I figure it wouldn't hurt to hear him out and see if there's any merit to his offer."

"Who's Hokushin?" Kai asked, looking up at the both of them in confusion.

"Just a guy who knew my old man," Yusuke answered.

Kai frowned in concern and Yusuke moved to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Don't worry, he's one of the good ones," he reassured. "And I'll be back just in time for your birthday dinner tomorrow night."

"Oh okay," Kai replied, apparently satisfied with Yusuke's reply. "Have a nice trip."

"I will." Yusuke's gaze moved to meet Hiei's. "And you better not forget about what I told you at the bar."

Hiei's brows furrowed in confusion, eyes narrowing as he tried to understand Yusuke's ambiguous demand. Last night Yusuke claimed that Botan was in love with him and that all the others knew it as well. Even Kai seemed to think there was something between them, but Hiei had been blind to it all.

"Looks like you've got more than enough time to set things right, seeing as you'll be sticking around indefinitely," Yusuke smirked, before pulling his collar up and departing.

Hiei pondered the usually lackadaisical man's uncharacteristically serious words. The woman was the type to put everyone else's needs before her own and she knew how much the job opportunity meant to him. If she had pushed aside her own wants and needs for him, perhaps her feelings really did run deeper than they appeared to be on the surface.

"Dad?"

Hiei looked down at Kai.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," Hiei answered, as they continued the stroll back to Botan's apartment.

When Kai unlocked the door, Hiei was afforded a clear view of the woman. She stopped typing away at her laptop, eyes going wide at the sight of him. Kai released his hand to enter the apartment, but Hiei stood frozen at the door. As Botan stood up numbly, staring at him with a myriad of emotions flashing through those amethyst eyes, he was absolutely certain that Yusuke's claims were true.

There was no way Botan could look at him like that and not be in love him.

It was suddenly all so clear.

* * *

Botan's heart froze in her chest when she spotted Hiei.

"W-what are you two doing here?" she asked finally.

"Kai thought it necessary to skip school," Hiei divulged upon entering the apartment and closing the door behind him. "I was only bringing him back."

Botan's eyes narrowed as she frowned down at Kai.

"You skipped school?" she echoed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We talked about this, Kai, you can't just run off on our own like you used to."

"I'm sorry, I just…" he ducked his head guiltily, avoiding all eye contact as his shoulders shrunk in.

"The blame is not his alone to bear," Hiei started.

"Dad…" Kai mumbled, looking up at Hiei in shock.

Botan's ire vanished the moment she heard the word escape from Kai's mouth. Whatever had happened between the time they had left and returned must have been significant for this sudden change to occur.

"The boy was wrong to go off on his own, but he was upset because of my own carelessness," Hiei insisted.

Botan's expression softened and she nodded understandingly. Kai had a rough few days and she could understand his pain better than anyone else. If he felt so distraught that he didn't even want to go to school – a place that he loved more than most others – then she could not fault him for that.

"I suppose one day off won't do any damage," she relented with a gentle smile. "You have been through an awful lot.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"It's alright," she soothed. "Just promise me that you won't do it again."

"I won't," he guaranteed. "I promise."

She nodded in satisfaction, before turning to Hiei. It was then that she remembered the proverbial elephant in the room.

"Oh no, Hiei! You've got a plane to catch, don't you?" she reminded him. Finding Kai and bringing him home must have caused a large delay in Hiei's schedule, but perhaps he could still make it in time. She glanced down at the time displayed on her phone. "You've got about forty-five minutes. You can make it if you leave right now."

"It doesn't matter," he dismissed, crimson eyes locked onto Botan's evenly. "I don't intend on catching it."

"What are you saying?" Botan blinked in confusion, arms falling at her sides loosely.

"He's saying that he's staying!" Kai filled in exuberantly. He was practically bouncing on his toes as he continued. "He's not going to America anymore!"

"You're really staying?" she asked as her gaze flitted between Kai's bright grin and Hiei's impassive expression.

The black-haired man nodded wordlessly and Botan had to swallow the lump in her throat. She didn't mean to get choked up, but she couldn't help herself. Mere minutes ago she was crying over the fact that he would be gone and lost to her forever, and now he was standing before her with no intentions of going anywhere.

"I'm really glad that you changed your mind," she admitted finally.

"So am I," Hiei replied, looking down at their son.

Botan's heart warmed at the exchange. Hiei had come so far in the span of a few months that it was almost unbelievable. Her gaze fell upon Kai as well, smiling as the boy wrestled with the buttons of his navy blazer. He had certainly changed them all for the better.

"I should probably change if I'm not going to school today," Kai mentioned, rolling his shoulders under the stiff material of his school uniform. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, dad!"

Botan watched him scamper off into his room, relieved that his mood had taken a complete turn around. This was exactly what he deserved: to be happy and to be loved. She was so glad that Hiei had decided to stay that she almost forgot the angry way he had left. Botan turned back to face him, unsure of what to say or do. The air between them was tense and heavy; filled with the words and sentiments that she couldn't quite express.

Although the two of them had returned to the same exact positions that they had taken up minutes ago, both of their countenances had changed. She was no longer laden with the sadness and regret that came with Hiei leave and Hiei was no longer fuming. His posture was much more relaxed now, the tenseness gone from his features and from his shoulders. Perhaps he had lost his ire or perhaps he had simply blanketed it with another one of his impenetrable guards. In any case, she knew that she owed him an explanation and there was no better time than the present.

"What you said earlier this morning about us not trusting or believing in you," Botan began cautiously. "I want you to know that it isn't true."

"I know," he disclosed. "You were doing what you thought was best."

She nodded, glad that he understood where their intentions.

"We didn't want to hold you back or make you miss out on what you've been working towards. We both care about you and we wanted you to be happy," she confessed.

"I know that, too," he admitted, his angular eyes somehow softer than what she was used to. "You both have a bad habit of going beyond what is necessary when it comes to me."

"It comes with the territory," Botan replied with a lighthearted wink. "It's what a family does, after all."

He nodded in understanding and the two fell silent again. Botan suddenly felt small and awkward under his gaze, and the silence that had stretched over them was not helping at all. She lacked the courage and the energy to jump to the heart of the matter that lie between them, so she switched to a more neutral topic instead.

"Koenma might be put in a tight spot now," she started conversationally. "He was telling me about how big of a deal the meeting was and how important it was to find a strong candidate. Now that you're not going, it might be a bit difficult for him to find someone else."

"He will be fine," Hiei answered, not bothered by it at all.

"How do you know?" she pressed.

"Because I asked Mukuro to take up the position instead," Hiei revealed.

Her entire expression lit up as she clapped her hands together.

"Of course! Mukuro is certainly capable, smart and tough. I can definitely see her making it big out there," she commended.

"She deserves this," he replied.

"I'm sure she does," Botan agreed wholeheartedly. "It looks like everything worked out for the best, then."

"Almost," he answered obscurely.

Botan's eyes narrowed, unsure if she had heard him correctly or not. When he made no move to explain or elaborate, she looked away with a blush on her cheeks. She had barely wrapped her mind around the idea that Hiei would be staying in Tokyo, so she had little to no time to consider what it would mean for the two of them. Luckily she did not have to ponder it just yet because Kai chose that moment to stride back into the living room, donning a comfortable pair of sweats. His arms were crossed and a frown tugged his lips downward and Botan immediately focused all of her attentions on the boy.

"Is something the matter?" Botan asked in concern.

"Um... well, I was wondering if dad would come over tomorrow," Kai said, before turning towards Hiei. "It's my birthday and Mom was going to make a big breakfast before school. She's even going to let me open a present, too. Do you think you can make it?"

Hiei's eyes widened, clearly not expecting the sudden request. He glanced over at Botan and she nodded.

"It's completely fine with me," she approved.

"So… will you?" Kai asked.

"If that's what you want," Hiei decided after a brief silence.

"Awesome!" Kai grinned, punching a fist in the air. "It'll be the best birthday ever!"

His good cheer was infectious and soon Botan found herself matching his expression. Nothing made her happier than seeing that brilliant grin on her son's face.

"Hey mom…?" he asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Yes honey?"

"Didn't you have that meeting today?"

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" she exclaimed hurriedly. She looked over at Hiei apologetically. "Do you mind watching him for a bit? The Tribune has a huge staff meeting today. Kai was supposed to be at school while I was out, but … well, here we are."

"I'll take him back to my apartment," Hiei decided. "I might as well unpack."

"I'm really good at organizing!" Kai offered. "I can help you."

"If your room is any indication of your organizational skills, I think I'll pass," Hiei declined.

Kai puffed out his cheeks and Botan giggled at the exchange.

"Well, you two have fun with that," she teased. "I'll come by as soon as the meeting is over."

"Okay," Kai agreed.

She bent down to hug him and then stood up, looking over at Hiei. He stared back at her with that unreadable expression – the one that made her heart ache – and she couldn't ignore the thread of longing that tugged on her heart. It was entirely unfounded, though. Hiei was still here and he wasn't going anywhere. They had plenty of time to sort out their issues.

"Um, I'll see you later," she said to him lamely, suppressing the feelings that threatened to overtake her.

* * *

True to his word, Kai actually did turn out to be a decent helper. Hiei was able to get a majority of his belongings sorted and stored in their proper places just in time to take the boy out to lunch. Kai had insisted on a new café, and Hiei obliged. It was close enough to Botan's office and he told her that she could meet them there when she was finished.

The café was mostly empty, save for a familiar figure giving his order.

"Was Haru the one who told you about this place?" Hiei asked darkly.

"Mhm," Kai affirmed, still oblivious to the source of Hiei's sudden change in disposition.

"Figures," Hiei muttered under his breath. He contemplated leaving the place entirely, but that plan fell through in the moment that Haru turned around and spotted the two of them.

"Hey Haru!" Kai waved.

"Hey Kai, hey Hiei," Haru greeted casually, before taking a sip of his coffee.

A moment later he froze, doing a double take as his green eyes landed on Hiei. The man looked as though he had seen an apparition, but his shock was quickly overturned by his glee.

"Hiei, you're here!" Haru wailed, throwing his arms around Hiei tightly all the while managing to keep his drink in tact. He looked down at Kai excitedly. "He's really here!"

Kai nodded in a placating manner as Hiei pried the over emotional man off of himself.

"Go order something for yourself," Hiei instructed as he passed a few bills over to Kai.

"I knew that you wouldn't really leave us all in the end!" Haru exclaimed, as Kai ran over to the counter.

"I'm only beginning to regret that decision now," Hiei stated dismally.

"Aw, don't be like that, buddy," Haru cooed, slapping Hiei on the shoulder jovially.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"So, what changed your mind in the end?" Haru questioned.

"I figured out what was most important," he stated, glancing over at Kai, who was busy chatting away with the barista.

"That's good. I'm really proud of you," Haru praised. "And it's especially great because it means you and I will be working together again!"

Hiei raised a brow.

"I wasn't aware the position was still open," he admitted.

"Psh, I trashed the resumes and applications that came in," Haru declared shamelessly. "If Risho thinks he's getting your job, he's got another thing coming."

"You realize what you did was a crime," Hiei stated.

"Eh, I'll be fine so long as you don't say anything," Haru supposed with a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders.

"Hn."

"Besides, I'm sure we can always call up Koenma and get things back in order," Haru proposed.

Hiei honestly hadn't considered it. It had only been a few hours since he decided to stay and the thought of reclaiming his former position never even crossed his mind. It did sound tempting, though.

"Don't you dare think of bailing on me," Haru warned with a warm smile. "We've still got lots of work left to do, partner."

The corner of Hiei's lifted into a smirk.

"Is that what you call what you've been doing all these years?"

"Hey!" Haru protested. "My contributions to Enma Corp. have been incomparable and unparalleled and don't you forget it."

"Hn."

"By the way, did you sort things out with you-know-who?" Haru pried nosily.

"I don't intend to talk about that with you. Especially not now."

Hiei's gaze rolled down towards the blue-haired boy and Haru nodded in understanding.

"Well, when you finally gather up the courage to say what's on your heart, I can help you out. I am a master when it comes to things like this, you know."

"I highly doubt that."

"Just trust me!" Haru said, puffing his chest out self-importantly. "Follow my advice and she'll be yours forever."

"I don't need any advice from you."

"You sure look like you do, buddy," Haru teased. "Especially with a catch like you-know-who."

Kai returned to them with a brown bag in his hand and a questioning look in his eyes.

"…Are you guys talking about my mom?" he asked.

Haru's jaw dropped as he pointed a finger at Kai.

"He knows?"

"You practically just told him you fool," Hiei gritted.

"Aw, Haru didn't spill the beans," Kai dismissed. "I already knew that you and mom liked each other."

"Kai…" Hiei ground out warningly.

"But it's the truth…" he reasoned, staring up at Hiei stubbornly. "And so obvious."

"That's exactly what I was saying!" Haru agreed with a chuckle.

"So, are you ever gonna tell her?" Kai goaded.

"This isn't a discussion for you to be involved in," Hiei responded, before setting his sights on Haru sternly. "The same can be said for you."

"Don't be like that, Hiei," Haru taunted. "Little Kai may be young, but he's got a sharp mind. And I know all about wooing a lady. The two of us are probably your surest bet. In fact, you're lucky that we even bother with you in the first place."

"Lucky isn't the word I would use," Hiei countered darkly.

"You're such a negative guy," Haru mused, running a hand through his orange waves exasperatedly. "But no fear. I will stand by your side and help you out regardless. So tell us, what do you plan to do next?"

"That is none of your business," Hiei maintained, turning around so that his back faced the both of them.

"You could always start with flowers?" Haru suggested unfalteringly.

"Mom liked the tulips I got her for Mother's Day," Kai inserted in an attempt to be helpful.

"Chocolates are a sweet gesture, too," Haru noted.

"Yeah, she's always eating the ones that come in those heart boxes," Kai divulged.

"Good to know," Haru commended. "And the most important part of all is the emotional confession. It's got to be authentic and come straight from the heart."

"Ew… like those mushy gushy movies she's always watching with Yukina and Shizuru?" Kai questioned, disgust laced in his tone.

"Precisely!" Haru answered brightly. "Oh and he should probably dress up nicely, too. Appearance matters."

"Mom thinks he looks good all the time, though, so it probably doesn't matter," Kai said.

Hiei's proud stance broke a bit, eyes widening in surprise. He was grateful for the fact that he wasn't facing them and that no one could see the way his expression deviated in that moment.

"You hear that, Hiei?" Haru called, stepping in front him and wiggling his eyebrows. "You're already in her good books. This'll be a piece of cake."

"With chocolate frosting on top!" Kai added, joining him at his side.

"…You're both insufferable," Hiei muttered, as the two continued to cohort amongst themselves.

Since they did not bother listening to him, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and caught up on the messages and emails contained in his inbox. He was not at all surprised to find one from Koenma and he supposed that he had some explaining to do. Although they were short on time and Mukuro was an exceptionally adept candidate for the position, he did go over Koenma's head. The CEO had requested a video conference in half an hour to discuss the recent happenings and Hiei could not afford to miss it.

"Stay with him until Botan arrives," Hiei instructed. "I have to go."

"Wait a minute – where's the fire?" Haru asked.

"Video conference with Koenma," he replied. He might as well explain himself as well as secure his old position back.

"Alright. Leave Kai to me!" Haru said, saluting him.

"Don't forget to stop by tomorrow morning!" Kai reminded him.

"I won't forget," Hiei affirmed.

Hiei managed to make it to the office in record time. Although he didn't have his keycard or security ID on him, the woman at the front desk let him through regardless and Sayo was beaming the moment witnessed his entry on the sixteenth floor.

"Is the office open?" he asked her.

"It always is for you," she smiled.

He nodded his thanks and then entered his barren office. Without the personal touches that Haru added, the place seemed bigger and colder. But it was his, and it felt good to take up residence within these four walls again. He sat down on his leather chair and logged into the conference portal. It took a few moments for it load, but soon enough he was greeted with the nearly comical image of Koenma seated in his oversized chair. The brown-haired man leaned forward, hands folded atop of his spotless mahogany desk.

"Would you mind explaining to me why you're still here and Mukuro is halfway to America?" Koenma inquired.

"I decided not to go," Hiei replied evenly. "I'm needed here."

"I can't fault you for changing your mind, but the investors were expecting you," Koenma reminded him. "We will look unprepared and untrustworthy by sending in an employee that they did not expect."

"I know," he acknowledged. "But even so, Mukuro was always the better candidate. She possesses more experience and knowledge in the field and, quite frankly, the woman is more cutthroat than either of us. She is the best person to spearhead the job and I don't regret sending her in my place."

"I see your point," Koenma conceded. "I just wish I was given a heads up. It will certainly be harder for her to gain their trust and support."

"It will be, but she works best when the odds are stacked against her."

"That is true," Koenma agreed. "My father isn't happy with this, but I can't really find it in myself to be too angry. I suppose I'll just have to do a bit of damage control."

The tension in his shoulders drained a bit at Koenma's words, but he remained alert.

"We were going to hold interviews for your position, but I suppose that's unnecessary now that you're back," Koenma commented, shuffling through some papers as he spoke.

Hiei frowned, brow crinkled in confusion.

"That's it?" he questioned.

Koenma looked back into the screen once more, catching Hiei's perplexed expression.

"There's no use in throwing a tantrum over it," he answered, to Hiei's surprise. "And if I'm being honest, I felt pretty guilty for handing you this opportunity when it meant I'd be breaking up your family. My conscience is a little clearer now that you've decided to stay."

"I see."

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few personal questions – off the record of course," Koenma began.

Hiei frowned.

"What is it?"

"Did Botan have anything to do with your decision?"

She was partly the reason for his indecision, but she was not the deciding factor in his choice to inevitably remain here.

"It was Kai," he answered honestly. "But if she had asked me to stay, I would have."

Koenma nodded, features settling into a more serious look.

"I'm not sure what's going on between you two, but Botan is my oldest and closest friend. Despite her cheery outlook on life, she has been through a lot and I'd like to avoid any further heartache from coming upon her if I can."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Hiei asked defensively.

"I want you to do right by her. You're a good man, Hiei, but matters of the heart are complicated. It's easy to hurt one another once you open yourself up in that way," he explained, looking as though he were speaking from experience. "I want you to do your best to keep her happy. I want you to promise me that you'll take good care of her."

Hiei swallowed thickly. He knew what he had to do, but being accountable and pledging responsibility for Botan to the person who meant so much to her was something else entirely. He stared back at Koenma with a sharp nod. This was the least he could do.

"…I will."

"Good, because if you don't, then I'll have to sic Yusuke on you," Koenma joked.

Hiei rolled his eyes. It seemed as though everyone had an opinion when it came to his nonexistent love life. He could not fault Koenma for the sudden big brother routine – he had done the same for Yukina in his own rough and temperamental way – but Kai and Haru were a different story. Those two were annoyingly persistent in their crusade for Hiei to tell Botan the truth. He didn't need their reminders or their pushing; he knew that there was no sense in keeping it to himself any longer. He was not a romantic person and he had trouble saying the things that resided in his heart, but he would have to do it eventually. She had done far more than she needed to and he intended to let her know just what was on his mind. He would do it – on his own terms and in his own time.

* * *

The following morning, Hiei arrived at Botan's right on time. She greeted him warmly, hair tied in a messy bun and apron tied around her waist. He was a little surprised to see that she was fully alert at such an early hour, but then again she was probably just as excited about birthdays as the boy was. She let him inside and Hiei followed her towards the dining table. His brows rose as he spotted the large spread.

"Did you invite the others?" he asked.

"No, it's just us three today," she replied, removing her apron and setting it on the back of her chair. "Why? Do you think I went overboard?"

Overboard was an understatement. The woman had made three different types of eggs, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, sausages and bacon. There was even an array of fruits and pastries set up as well.

Hiei nodded wordlessly and Botan shrugged.

"Well, I suppose we'll be eating well all day today. Yusuke's also going to be making a special dinner for Kai tonight," she revealed. "Oh, and then I've got all of his friends coming over to the park tomorrow to continue the birthday celebrations. It might be a bit too much, but I couldn't help it. It's his first birthday with us and I wanted it to be special."

He could understand that much. She was only making up for the years she had missed out on, after all.

"Oh, is that your gift?" she asked, pointing to the large box he was toting.

"One of them," Hiei answered.

"You can set it against the wall, right next to mine," Botan instructed, pointing to a smaller, rectangular box that lay on the floor.

As soon as he had put the gift down, Kai exited the bathroom. Half lidded eyes jolted to full wakefulness when they spotted Hiei.

"You came!"

Hiei wondered when the boy would stop greeting him with such an excited and appreciative air. It did something strange to his chest every time and he wasn't sure if he would ever get use to it. Botan nudged him and Hiei remembered why he was here in the first place.

"Happy birthday," he said lowly.

"Thanks dad," Kai grinned. He then stood up to full height and straightened his posture. "Do you think I look any older or taller?"

Botan giggled.

"I don't think it works that way, hun," she told him, rearranging the dishes so that they all fit comfortably on the table.

Kai's inquiry was soon forgotten when he spotted the array of food.

"Whoa… is all of this for me?" he asked.

"Yes sir! It is a special day, after all," she replied. "Don't be shy now. You too, Hiei, there's no way we can finish all of this on our own."

The two of them took a seat and began eating. He thought of how far they had all come. He nearly hated the woman and resented the child, but in a few months that had all changed. They had all started out so inexperienced and unsure when it came to being a part of what was now their family – but they all found their footing and it had all worked out in the end. Hiei had never believed in things magically falling into place or the universe working towards a singular goal, but even he had to admit that there was some unseen force that had kept them together. If he had boarded the plane, he would have never had this chance with the two of them. He glanced over at Kai, who was busy wolfing down his food at a downright scary pace. The boy placed his fork down and swallowed.

"Can I open my presents now?" he asked excitedly.

"Go right ahead," Botan permitted.

Kai slid his chair out from the table noisily and dashed over to the two items. He moved to Botan's gift first, taking a seat on the floor as he unwrapped the gift carefully and considerately. It was only then that Hiei realized that the boy had probably never done this before. A pang of guilt ran through his chest as he watched Kai's expression brighten.

"A game station!" he exclaimed.

Botan grinned triumphantly.

"I can barely pry you off of Yusuke and Kuwabara's, so I figured it was high time you got your own," she revealed.

"Thanks mom!" he said as he set the box down in order to hug her tightly.

Botan giggled.

"You're very welcome. Now open Hiei's," she urged. "I'm curious to see what's inside that large gift."

Purple eyes looked over at the box in curiosity. He removed the wrapping paper in the same slow and cautious manner that he did with the first present, and then paused to stare at it almost disbelievingly.

"You remembered..." he said, mouth falling open in surprise.

Hiei nodded as he placed a hand into the pocket of his black slacks. Kai had mentioned not having a bicycle before, and Hiei figured it was time he got one. It did not require much thought or deliberation, but it had clearly touched the boy more than he expected.

"I did," he affirmed.

"...Thanks dad," he smiled. "I love it."

"And you've got more presents to unwrap later," Botan reminded him. "But for now, you've got to get ready for school."

"Right."

Hiei watched Kai disappear behind his room door before he helped Botan clear the dishes away and clean up the kitchen. If he had boarded the plane, he would have missed out on all of this. He shook the thought out of his head and instead decided to focus on getting the place cleared up. He and Botan worked in silence and in tandem as they had done countless times before. It was more than easy for him to be here with them; it was natural. They had fallen into this routine so many times before, but Hiei soon realized that he didn't want things to return to the way they were. He wanted to move forward, and he wanted to do it with her.

Hiei turned around to tell her that, only to come face to face with the woman. Botan staggered at their sudden proximity and he caught a hold of her to keep her from slipping.

"I was reaching for the paper towel beside you…" she tried to explain. "I didn't expect for you to turn around so abruptly."

When she tried to take a step back, he merely tightened his grip on her, shaking his head once to prevent her from moving away. Botan froze in his grasp, staring back at him and searching his eyes for an answer to the sudden and uncharacteristic decision to keep her close. He wanted Botan, in all her eccentricities, with all of her emotions and in spite of all of her complexities and he didn't need flowers or chocolates or fancy clothes to tell her what was on her mind. There was nothing he needed aside from her. With that thought in mind, he brushed his lips against her parted ones slowly and deliberately. She let out a gasp, before leaning into him and responding with more fervor than he expected her to. His mouth moved to deepen the kiss, but his efforts were short-lived as Botan returned to her senses.

"Hiei…" she whispered as she pulled away, placing a hand on his chest to keep him anchored there. Her cheeks were pink and lips swollen. "What are we doing?"

"What we should have a long time ago, if only we hadn't been so stubborn and blind to the truth," he answered, arms dropping at his sides as he released her.

Botan's palm fell away from his chest, her brow crinkled slightly as she tried to process what his words meant. For someone so adept in the matters of the heart, she was blindly oblivious when it came to his.

"I don't stand a chance when it comes to you, woman," he professed. "I didn't understand it at first, but it's all clear now. It's the reason why every single thing you've ever said to me has stayed with me and every thing you've ever done is etched into my memory. It's the reason why you only ever stare at me like that and it's the reason why you let me go, isn't it?"

Botan's amethyst gaze broke away from his self-consciously, the way she always did when she was caught in a moment of hesitance.

"I couldn't possibly ask you to stay when everything you've been working towards was finally within your grasp," she reasoned. "You deserved to get exactly what you wanted and I didn't want to stand in your way."

"What if I told you that everything that I wanted was right here?" he asked her lowly.

Botan looked up at him in shock, mouth falling open.

"You…"

"I love you," he declared. "I love you more than I can say and more than you may ever know. I love you more than the differences between us and the obstacles that lie ahead. And if that's good enough for you, Botan, then I want you to be mine."

She nodded as tears sprung to her eyes.

"I love you, too," she admitted softly. "I have for a while now. I'm sorry for pushing you away when only thing I really wanted was to be with you, Hiei."

His mouth quirked upwards into a wry half-smile. It had taken them long enough to reach this point, but he suppose it was worth it in the end. He leaned in to capture her lips again, but Botan halted him.

"Slow down there, mister, Kai could come out at any moment," she reminded him.

But Hiei was past the point of listening. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Then we shouldn't waste any time."

* * *

Her entire body was tingling from the attention that Hiei had given her. The touch of his fingers, the grip of his hands and the way he moved his mouth against hers was more than enough to make her dizzy. It was just like their first kiss, except this time she knew exactly what was inside of his heart.

The rational part of her brain was telling her to put a pause on things but when Hiei's hand slid up until it found purchase on her waist, she lost all logical train of thought. There was an almost uncontrolled quality to the way that he kissed her, as if she were able to make him lose his composure and control. It was an empowering thought and it spurred her to take the lead, moving her lips against his slower and more softly than he was probably accustomed to. He growled at the sudden change in pace, but followed suit nonetheless with a determined and unrelenting passion that made her go a little weak in the knees.

"Whoa!"

They both pulled away at Kai's excited interjection.

"Kai!" she exclaimed breathlessly, the memory of Hiei's touch still fresh in her mind and on her skin.

"Best… birthday… ever!" Kai squealed. "I knew you guys would get together!"

"Now, son-" Botan tried to calm him down.

"Are you guys going to get married?" he asked hurriedly. "Can I be the ring bearer? Whose apartment are we going to live in? Who's last name are we taking? When-"

"Kai," Hiei interrupted sternly, causing the boy to quiet down.

"You're moving at the speed of light," Botan said to him softly. "We need to take things one-step at a time."

"Aw, okay," Kai relented, though the excitement still danced in his eyes.

"Your father and I are still trying to figure things out and we would appreciate it if you kept this little incident between us for the while," Botan requested.

"I can do that," Kai guaranteed.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, fixing Kai with a disbelieving look.

"I can!" Kai pressed, hands balled into fists at his side.

"Good! Now that that's all settled and agreed upon, we should see you off," Botan suggested.

"Okay!"

Kai walked outside with an extra spring in his step, and Botan honestly felt like doing the same. When the bus pulled up to the curb and the doors opened, she bent down to give him a quick hug.

"Have a great day, sweetie."

"Thanks!" he replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Love you both."

"Love you more," she answered.

Hiei raised a hand in a half wave in response.

They both watched him board the bus and Botan waved until the bus was out of sight.

"I should go, too," he noted, looking down at his watch.

When his crimson gaze met hers, she felt her cheeks heat up.

"A-Alright."

"I'll meet you at Yusuke's."

"Huh?"

"You said that he is hosting Kai's birthday dinner."

"Yes... silly me."

Hiei smirked and it was suddenly clear where Kai had inherited his devious streak from.

"A little flustered, woman?"

"No!" she denied hurriedly with a shake of her head. The longer he stared at her, the more her resolve began to shake until she let out a defeated sigh. "Well, maybe just a little. This is all just so new. Aren't you a little uncertain, too?"

"I know exactly what I feel for you. There is no need for uncertainty."

"I didn't mean it like that," Botan explained. "It's just a little scary because this is brand new territory for the two of us. Not to mention how complicated it will get with Kai in the mix."

Hiei frowned in confusion, so she continued.

"I want us to last, is all," she said honestly. "You mean too much to me for it all to go sour."

"It won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you never gave up on me, so I don't intend on letting you go."

The simple surety in his statement was more than enough to erase any fears or doubts that resided in her heart. He continued to surprise her every day and she hoped that he would never stop.

"You're absolutely right," she agreed, before smiling at him lightheartedly. "I had no idea you were so romantic, Hiei."

His determined expression gave way to an irritated scowl.

"That wasn't romantic."

"Could have fooled me," she teased.

"You-"

Whatever words Hiei had hoped to say were lost to him as Botan leaned in to kiss his cheek. Her smile deepened mischievously when she realized that she had managed to catch him off guard. She could have sworn that she even saw his cheeks redden, but her eyes must have been playing tricks on her.

"Now who's flustered?" she teased.

"Shut up, woman," he grumbled, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of her gaze.

Botan giggled. He looked downright adorable, but she dare not say it aloud. Though she supposed she could afford to admit those things to him now that they were together. Her cheeks flushed at the thought. It was still hard to wrap her mind around it.

His phone began to ring and he looked back at her.

"I have to go."

"Alright, have a nice day at work. I'll see you later tonight."

He nodded, before answering his call and walking away. Botan watched him go fondly, heart fluttering in her chest and mood soaring high. She looked up at the cerulean sky with a smile as bright as the sun that shined down on her. It was ironic how a man who brought her such frustration and stress at the start of their relationship was now the one that she didn't want to do without. Life really did work in mysterious ways, she supposed.

* * *

Kuwabara sat on the bench, watching as the golden colored leaves fell and drifted away on the wind. It was a sunny and cool day, but his mind was far removed from the picturesque scenery and a dark frown littered his features. Everything was changing so quickly and he wasn't sure if he could keep up with the myriad of changes.

Kurama wouldn't be around to make eyes at his sister, or to give them boring lectures and anecdotes about his work with plants. Urameshi wouldn't be riling him up in one minute and laughing away with him in the next. Even Hiei wouldn't be around to get on his nerves. The little jerk was probably already settling in America by now.

The four of them had gone through so much and he always just assumed that they'd continue to move forward together. But here was, stuck in the same spot while they all advanced.

"Hey, big, blue and goofy – what's with the sad face?"

"Leave me alone, Urameshi," Kuwabara grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to face the other way.

"Gee, I just thought you might like to know that I'm not leaving," Yusuke announced.

Kuwabara's brows lifted, turning to view the black-haired man in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Hokushin's got all these complicated rules and regulations. It's not my style at all," Yusuke explained with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'd rather pave my own way than work towards someone else's vision."

Kuwabara blinked, taking in the sudden information.

"I feel the same way," a calm voice agreed.

"Kurama!" Kuwabara said in surprise, turning to see the redhead walking towards him.

"Dredging up the past is no way to pave a future for yourself," Kurama stated. "I believe I am exactly where I need to be."

"Y-you mean you guys aren't going?" Kuwabara asked, his chest feeling lighter already.

"Hn," Hiei grunted. "I think he might actually start to cry."

"Hiei!" Kuwabara exclaimed, jumping into a standing position. He never thought there would be a day when he was relieved to see the little shrimp, but there was a first time for everything.

Yusuke looked between the four of them with a knowing smirk.

"Guess we're all a bunch of big lugs in the end, huh?" he stated cheekily.

"Speak for yourself," Hiei scoffed.

"Aw, I think you boys should hug it out," Botan teased, joining them with a grin.

"You're free to shed a few manly tears, too," Shizuru suggested.

Yukina smiled at the exchange, moving to stand beside him.

"It looks like everyone is exactly where they're meant to be," she commented softly.

"Yeah," he agreed lowly. His expression brightened when he spotted Kai. He could only imagine how happy the boy was, especially now that his dad decided to stay. "Happy Birthday little buddy."

"Thanks Kuwabara," Kai replied, blushing a bit at the sudden attention.

"I hope you guys brought your appetites, because I'll be cooking up a storm. It's not every day Kai turns eight," Yusuke commented, cracking his knuckles.

Kai ducked his head in embarrassment.

"And, hey, in ten more years, the kid can actually join us at the bar," Yusuke pointed out, as he entered his cart and wiggled his brows at them from behind the counter.

Kai's face scrunched up in distaste.

"Why would I go there?" he wondered, looking up at Yusuke for an answer.

"Well…" Yusuke paused, catching Botan's glare. "I'll tell you in ten years."

"If you say so…" he trailed off, before hopping up on one of the stools. "Do you mind if I watch you cook?"

"How about I do you one better? Get in here and I'll show you the secret ingredient to my newest dish."

Kai's mauve eyes lit up in satisfaction, before he hopped off of the stool and made his way towards Yusuke.

So much had changed within the span of a few months, but it brought them all closer and that was really all that mattered. As Yusuke and Kai chattered on in the background, the rest of them took a seat at one of the many tables scattered around the park.

Hiei slid into the bench directly after Botan and Kuwabara's eyes narrowed, his sixth sense on alert. There was something strange going on here. They didn't necessarily do anything out of the blue, but he could sense that things between them changed somehow. His mouth twisted in concentration as he observed them critically, trying to the exact cause of this new development.

"Kazuma?"

Yukina's calm voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Yes my love?"

"Is something the matter? You look upset."

"Oh, I'm fine," he said, laughing nervously. "I was just thinking is all."

"Are you sure?"

Kuwabara's entire spirit lifted upon knowing that Yukina was concerned over him. She was so pure hearted and kind.

"I'm fine, my sweet, I promise!"

"Okay."

Maybe he was just being paranoid, but as the day went on, there were things that Kuwabara couldn't ignore. The two sat a little closer to each other than normal, and despite the proximity, Botan seemed completely at ease in his presence. Hiei didn't seem to be bothered by it either and his gaze lingered on Botan a split second too long when he thought no one was watching.

He kept his thoughts to himself, but after dinner, something happened that he couldn't ignore. He was in the middle of a game of hacky sack with Kai, Urameshi and Kurama, when he hit the ball a bit too hard. He wandered over to where Hiei and Botan were seated to reclaim the ball when he heard it.

"You're so cute, Hiei!" she giggled.

"I'm not cute," Hiei denied tightly.

"Tell that to the adorable little pout on your face."

"Say what you will now, woman, but I doubt you will be so bold once I get you alone."

Kuwabara turned ghostly pale as he walked back to the others, ball long forgotten.

"What's the matter, Kazuma, you look like you've seen a ghost," Shizuru noted.

"He has gotten awfully pale. Are you unwell?" Kurama asked.

"B-botan and Hiei," he stuttered out.

"Yes?" Yukina prompted, encouraging him to continue.

"She was calling him cute and he was acting like it was normal. And then he said something about getting her alone," Kuwabara recalled with a shiver. "It was freaky."

"Botan calls all of us cute," Yusuke rationalized with a shrug, pausing to give Kuwabara a look over. "Except for you, Kuwabara, that mug can't be classified as cute."

"Oh shut it, Urameshi, I'm being serious here!" Kuwabara bellowed.

"Now that you mention it, they do seem a little closer than usual," Shizuru agreed.

"See? Something's not right!" Kuwabara maintained. "There's definitely something going on between the two of them."

Kai stiffened, looking away nervously.

"Something the matter kid?" Yusuke asked.

"Nope," Kai said, before pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Aw and here I thought we were better friends than that. I even think of you as a little brother of my own, but I guess you don't feel the same if you're keeping secrets," Yusuke said.

"I'm sorry Yusuke, I can't tell you," Kai lamented. "I wish I could."

"So there is something to tell…" Yusuke grinned cheekily.

"Oops," Kai exclaimed, covering a hand over his mouth.

"You're guilt-tripping a child, Yusuke. Think about how low you've sunken before you go any further," Shizuru warned, brown eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Yeah, but the kid clearly knows what's going on," Yusuke rationalized.

"Perhaps it simply isn't our business to know," Kurama advised maturely.

"Yes," Yukina supported. "My brother is a very private person. If something has changed between them, he might prefer it if it stayed between them for a while."

"Mhm!" Kai added with a sharp nod of his head. "That's exactly why he didn't want me telling anyone that they were kissing in the kitchen this morning."

"Oh my," Yukina said, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Oh no…" Kai winced in horror. "I blabbed again."

Shizuru put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't beat yourself up over it," she soothed. "Yusuke was spurring you on in the first place."

"But I promised them that I wouldn't tell anyone…" Kai lamented.

"If Hiei wanted to keep it a secret, then he shouldn't have been out in the open," Kurama surmised with an amused smile.

Shizuru nodded in agreement as Yusuke stepped forward.

"We've all gotten dragged into their whirlwind romance on more than one occasion," Yusuke reminded them with a smirk. "So I say it's high time we returned the grief a bit."

* * *

"This is nice, don't you think?" Botan asked.

"It would be better without Kuwabara and Yusuke's offhanded remarks, but if Kai is happy, then that is all that matters."

"That's the spirit Hiei!" she cheered. "Tomorrow will certainly be a bit crazier, especially with all the kids running around."

"Remind me to work overtime."

"No you don't, mister. I'll need you there to help with all those kids."

"I hate kids," Hiei grumbled.

"But you're great with Kai," Botan pointed out.

"That's because he's mine."

"Well, they're all his friends and it's his birthday party, so you'll have to be there, too," Botan decided.

Hiei grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. She resisted the urge to kiss him on the cheek and settled for poking him in the arm playfully instead.

"At least this is the extent of your worries. In a few years he'll be a teenager and that will come with a whole range of other problems,"

"Is this your way of looking on the bright side?"

She nodded.

"Why, is it not working?"

"Not at all."

Botan shrugged as she dusted off her jeans and stood up.

"In any case, maybe we should go and join the others. It might seem a bit strange that we're off alone while they're all together."

Hiei nodded as he took a stand as well, frowning when he noticed that everyone was making their way over to them instead.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear!" Kai warned.

Botan blinked down at him in confusion.

"What wasn't?"

But Yusuke had already begun talking before Kai could explain.

"You know, something's different with the two of you, but I just can't seem to put my finger on it," he began, rubbing a hand at his chin purposely.

"Heh, you're right Urameshi," Kuwabara teased from beside him.

"W-what do you mean?" Botan asked, uncomfortable under their combined scrutiny.

"Now that you mention it, something does feel like it's shifted," Shizuru noticed.

Botan gulped, avoiding the brunette's discerning gaze at all costs. Hiei was as indifferent as always, posture relaxed and calm as he ignored the conversation entirely.

"Perhaps the answer is obvious and right in our faces. An inevitable conclusion to the events that have led us here," Kurama supposed.

"I-it's really nothing at all," Botan tried.

"It doesn't seem that way to me," Yukina opined.

"Y-yukina… even you?" Botan faltered in surprise.

The bluette only smiled guiltily.

"So what's the verdict, oh wise and knowledgeable Warrior of Love?" Yusuke asked, cocking his head towards Kuwabara.

"I think they finally got together and decided not to tell us," Kuwabara stated sagely.

Botan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How could you possibly know that?" she shrieked.

"Because the Warrior of Love knows all," Kuwabara replied.

"Or a certain blue-haired blabbermouth couldn't keep it to himself," Hiei deduced, glaring down at Kai.

Kai threw a hand over his mouth and hid behind Kurama's leg.

"Don't blame the kid," Yusuke defended. "We figured it out all on our own. It was inevitable, really, so why the secrecy?"

"W-well, it's all just so new… and we needed some time," Botan defended.

"Something tells me you two will be just fine," Shizuru commented. "I'm happy for you both."

"So am I," Yukina added.

Hiei looked away, shoving a hand in his pocket and Botan smiled.

"Thanks girls."

"Yeah, we're all happy for you, just don't go getting all lovey-dovey in front of us. It's bad enough that Kuwabara's always waxing corny poetry and Shizuru and Kurama are making eyes at each other. I'm starting to feel like the seventh wheel over here," Yusuke grumbled.

"Maybe it's time for you to settle down, too, Urameshi," Kuwabara taunted. "If we can find a girl who can manage to put up with you."

"What was that?"

"You heard me, punk!"

The two began fighting as Kai looked on amusedly. Although it was quite juvenile and immature, Botan was glad that there were some things that never changed between them. When their little wrestling match had gotten out of hand and their insults a little too crude, she decided to step in.

"Alright, enough of this," she interrupted. "It's time to cut the cake!"

Kai's face lit up as soon as the magic word left her mouth. Although it was nearly autumn, he had insisted on an ice cream cake for his birthday. Yusuke pulled it out of the fridge in his cart and placed it on the table nearest to them. Botan set up eight candles and lit them while Kai took a seat directly in front of the cake. As they sang to him, a contented and relaxed smile fell upon his face. His expression was illuminated by the golden glow of the candles and Botan couldn't help but take a few pictures for posterity's sake. Her heart was full to the brim with happiness and she was sure that Kai felt the same, too. She glanced over at Hiei, before slipping her hand into his. She was wholly surprised when he wordlessly closed his hand over hers, too, not caring if anyone else saw. His grip was warm and firm and everything that she did not know that she needed.

Life didn't get much better than this.

* * *

Six months ago Kai was just a kid without a home. He had no family, no parents and no friends. When he found his mom, he had also found his dad, and his aunt and a group of friends who would eventually come to be his family, too. He had two places he could call home and a set of people that he trusted. He wasn't sure how he got so lucky, but he sure was glad that he finally found a place where he finally fit in with people who loved him for who he was.

"Time to make a wish," Botan said.

Kai shook his head resolutely, eyes passing over his parents and the rest of the group with all of the sureness in the world.

"I've got everything I need right here."

* * *

The End

* * *

I started this story during a rough time in my life with the belief that things could get better. Here we are, a few months later, and they really have gotten better. This fic holds a particular special place in my heart, and I'm so glad that you all were able to get a few laughs and happiness from it as well. Thank you for all of the support and encouragement. Thank you for sticking to with this story until the very end.

That being said, I have decided to start a side fic that will showcase moments that didn't quite make the cut for Love You More. You guys are more than welcome to request scenes that you'd like to see during any point during or after LYM's timeline.

In closing, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It was such a pleasure writing for you guys. I've got some more HB stories in the works, so I hope to see you all there!


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